Graduate, dobe!
by T.A.Myth
Summary: University student Uzumaki Naruto is in his final year.  His roommate Sasuke goes to extreme lengths to keep him out of trouble, but Naruto's not an easy guy to convince, and Sasuke's running out of ideas . Rated M for later chapters. YAOI.
1. Guts

**A/N: alright...this is the first time I have EVER written one of these things (~_~)' I read more fics than I probably should, but I've finally gathered up the courage to write an opening chapter. I have a general plot outlined in my mind, but I wanna know if it's worth continuing or not. Oh, and the later chapters (if the feedback is good) will contain M rated material, and since I don't think its half bad myself, I'm categorising it as that from now.**

**Anyway, enough from me. Please take the time to leave an opinion by reviewing. Honestly, you would not realise how encouraging it would be (T^T)**

**Onward!**

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><p>"Ten more minutes, I <em>beg<em> you..."

"No time." Sasuke reached for the covers and unmercifully wrenched them off his roommate in one fluid motion. "It's 8:20. That's half an hour for you to shower and get dressed."

"I can do all that in fifteeeeen..." Naruto pined in response, blindly groping for the sheets. His eyes were scrunched up tight, determined not to let a single beam of light enter. "Piss off bastard, let me sleep..."

"No, come on Naruto," Sasuke persisted, trying to reason with the sleeping figure. "We agreed to this yesterday, please get up."

Sasuke sighed and braced himself.

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><p>It was the same routine every morning. <em>Like a freakin' rehearsal,<em> Sasuke grumbled inwardly. Sasuke was up at the crack of dawn (even on weekends), while Naruto would refuse to grace the day any minute outside of the hour before where he had to be. As a result, he was almost always late, stumbling in twenty minutes after the lecturer had arrived and taking a seat somewhere towards the back.

Which meant, by then, he had missed all the crucial details about any in-class assessments, room-changes or coursework deadlines.

It hadn't been so much of a problem in their first year, since Sasuke or one of his other friends had always filled him in later. But now in his third and final year of University, Naruto's modules were more specific to his degree and as a result, he shared fewer and fewer classes with the others. What's more, the classes were substantially smaller, and filled with people he vehemently swore he had never even seen before.

Which also meant he was easy to mark.

The ancient academics observed him from behind their (not-so-ancient) laptops with beady, calculating eyes, and deemed him the perfect example of 'the bad student'. True, the unkempt sunshine blonde hair, faded jeans and crumpled t-shirts framing his body did nothing but complement his new title (and perhaps earn him heated glances from more than a handful of female students in the audience).

However, Naruto was nothing short of dedicated, and the utter opposite of any preconceptions anyone may have silently labelled him with.

Studying straight Biochemistry, he had a knack for grasping concepts and mechanisms better than anyone the school had ever seen. He never needed to take any notes. He just sat there and absorbed everything as though he were listening to the weather, down to the finest details. The hall would be filled with fervent scratches of pens writing and sheets being torn out every now then to begin a fresh page; students desperate not to miss a single word. Uzumaki Naruto didn't need any of that. It was as though he were hearing something so natural, there was no way he would ever forget it, or be unable to explain it all again looking at an unlabelled diagram. A true genius.

Since basic Science lessons in school, he'd been fascinated with the body's organs and vessels, and all the supposed processes going on behind the solid walls of skin. His class teacher, one Iruka-sensei had been impressed by the level of thought and genuine passion behind each of Naruto's persisting questions.

"But why do we need oxygen in our cells too?" he'd asked once, when the rest of the class had gone out to play. "Cells don't have...mouths and noses, do they?" then he gasped. "_Do they, _Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka had simply laughed and smiled down at the open-mouthed expression on the boy's face. _This_ was why he taught; witnessing such hunger and desire to know answers to the many mysteries of the world, on such a young face. Others his age only seemed concerned with what was for lunch, or who the most popular kid at school was. No one else seemed to even care about anything beyond their own simple interests.

This boy, he knew, was different.

Looking back now, Naruto was sure it was down to his teacher's patience and encouragement almost twelve years ago that he was where he was now. Iruka-sensei would always be there to guide him, staying in touch even after Naruto had left school to go on through further education. He had been positively beaming when Naruto informed him he would be attending none other than Konoha University, the grand and prestigious institution known all over the world. Only the very talented with the best grades (or the very rich) were able to make it past the several stages of entrance exams and interviews.

One such exam, towards the end of the application process could not be revised for. This was the rumoured choke point, where most of the potential candidates dropped out, leaving behind only the very few who had enough talent to be accepted. That afternoon, the dreaded head examiner himself, Ibiki-san stood at the hall entrance casting imposing shadows over the candidates as they took their seats. The question paper lay face down on each desk. Over nine-hundred nervous expressions looked back at him expectantly.

"All those who wish to leave, may do so now." He announced, taking the seat in the centre of the stage. "This test is designed to weed out the ones who've made it to this stage by pure luck. And I can assure you, I'll know from reading the first two words you write who'll be staying and who'll be going. So, if you want to save me the time and effort of ploughing through the load of pointless crap most of you will undoubtedly spew out, here's your chance."

No one moved.

Any previous fear had now been replaced with an air of pure determination and defiance at his words. Ibiki was duly impressed, but refused to let it show; every year, there were one or two who got up and left with their eyes to the ground, giving out at the last minute. The invigilators stationed around the room nodded at him. This time, it seemed there were no cowards.

_Perfect, _he thought, smiling at last.

"There are almost a thousand of you here now." He continued, roaming his eyes around the great hall. "That number will be reduced to below four hundred, _at least_. This institution only accepts the very best, and those of you who are of that calibre will fare well. But few are, and this test will make that distinction clear."

He glanced at the clock. 2:30pm exactly.

"You may leave at any point once the exam has begun, provided you hand in your answer booklet at the front desk. Toilet breaks are not permitted. Ensure your full name, entry number and signature are filled in the appropriate fields. You have three hours. Begin."

There was a sudden flutter as the sheets were overturned and the students' eyes took in the words on the page. There was a single, simple question. There was silence. And then they were writing.

Ibiki stretched, and looked around. He was confident. All the paper had stamped on it were the words: _What is Courage? _Each student would have a different angle on how to answer it, a different style of explaining and plenty of time to do so. No one ever left before the first two hours.

At 2:37, he heard someone stand up.

Every invigilator's head snapped towards the sound of a chair being pushed back. A student walked purposefully to the front desk, answer book in hand. He made eye contact with no one. Other students frowned up at him in disbelief as he passed them; _he read it and didn't even bother attempting it, what a loser._

He strode up to Ibiki and dumped the booklet onto the table. The sound echoed throughout the entire hall, magnified. Ibiki caught a glimpse of shining blue eyes, before the student actually grinned at him and swiftly walked out of the doors.

The head examiner stared after the boy in pure confusion. His attention returned to the answer booklet, still sitting on the desk. He picked it up and opened the first page. There _was _an answer written, and he read it now.

And read it again.

He closed the booklet, not believing. One of the invigilators near the front frowned as she realised Ibiki was shaking with silent laughter, his eyes shut. Shaking his head, Ibiki glanced at the name on the front, and knew he would never forget this moment for as long as he lived.

He opened the booklet and smiled, reading it a third time.

"_This is courage_", the words practically shouted from the page.

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><p><strong>AN: Right, well that's all for now, kinda like a prologue-ish thing to set the scene...I actually know of a guy who had the courage question in his own interview for either Oxford or Cambridge and got a place by writing that answer, so congrats to him...though it's somewhat unlikely he's reading this now (^_^)'**

**If you've made it this far, please review! I'll reply...**

**Thank you *humble bow***

**T**


	2. First Impressions

**A/N: I realise I mentioned too much about Naruto's past and hardly any about Sasuke...so this chapter will be more focussed on him. Apologies for all the flashbacks, but they're needed for insight. Again, please let me know if I'm making a total mess of this :S I'll have no idea til people say..**

**And I should have done this in the first chapter too - I do not own Naruto or the characters. That honour belongs to the one and only Kishimoto-sensei. On we go!**

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><p>Sasuke sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. <em>God, a break from this routine for just one day would be welcome, I swear. Two years of the exact same thing, day after day is not healthy...<em>

"Naruto," he warned. "Last chance."

"Fuck off."

In that instant, Sasuke had his hands wrapped tightly around Naruto's ankles and pulled with enough force to have the blonde tumbling out of bed, landing flat on his ass. As he hit the ground, Naruto's eyes snapped open in fury.

"Bastard!" he screeched, wide awake now. "What difference is it going to make if I get up now or in ten minutes? You're so out of order!"

"If there will be no difference either way," Sasuke pointed out. "Then you might as well get up now and get to lecture on time for once. _You_'_re_ the one who told me to do this to you every morning, if I remember correctly."

Naruto stood up at last, rubbing the back of his neck. Even though it was mid-November, he was clad in nothing but a pair of bright orange boxer shorts. Sasuke had never seen him complaining of the cold; the blonde seemed to have a constant supply of heat generating from somewhere.

"I know, I know..." he said miserably, and then yawned. "What's today again?"

"You have 'Metabolic Disorders' in the Brooker Hall." Sasuke replied. "Kakashi-san's module."

"Oh yeah..." Naruto blinked, before his eyes lit up. "It's Thursday today!"

"_Thursday_, dobe, not Christmas." Sasuke frowned.

"Just today, tomorrow, then it's the fucking weekend baby!" Naruto yelled at the top of his voice, punching the air. "Two days to sleep for however long I want! Whoop!"

It was as though someone had just flipped an adrenaline switch in his mind; thirty seconds ago, the guy had been dead to the world, but now he raced around the room, grabbing clothes from various places, and dumping them all onto the crumpled duvet. Sasuke saw him snatch a towel from the back of a chair before heading to the bathroom.

"See you in ten, bastard!" he smiled, then disappeared behind a locked door.

Sasuke shook his head and left Naruto's room, heading for the kitchen.

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><p>Fifteen minutes later, Naruto walked in fully dressed. Sasuke stood at the kitchen counter, silently spreading margarine on a pile of warm toasted bread. The kettle was boiling, last night's filthy dishes were stacked high in the sink, and there were little bits of blue modelling clay stuck to the ceiling. Yup, nothing out of the ordinary.<p>

"What the hell are those?" Sasuke asked, pointing above.

Naruto followed his finger and laughed.

"Kiba found Akamaru playing with a whole pack yesterday, and brought it over last night." He replied, as if this were a perfectly logical explanation. "Fuck knows how long it's been since I've played with that stuff! Ahh, memories..."

"Fine, but why on earth-" Sasuke was cut off as one of the blobs on the ceiling landed neatly in the margarine tub with a satisfying _splat_ sound. He stared at it in disgust, as though the thing had grown arms and legs and just slapped him in the face. Naruto sniggered.

Sasuke turned to him, irritated.

"After lecture, come straight back here and pick them all off yourself." He snapped.

"No way!" Naruto beamed. "The ceiling was so dull before, it looks much better now. All the kitchens on campus look exactly the same, ours should be at least a _little_ different, right?"

"Normal people use furniture for that!" Sasuke cried. "You are honestly the world's biggest idiot. Last time I checked, we _share_ this kitchen. You can't just do whatever you want all the time, dobe, especially nonsense like this! Were you high?"

"Chill out, bastard," Naruto soothed. "It's fine. Cleaners will probably come by later and take it off anyway. You _really _need to loosen up some, you know that? It's a shame none of my wonderful habits have rubbed off on you after all this time."

Sasuke stared in disbelief at his roommate for a moment, panting slightly. Then he relaxed.

"Thank goodness for that..." he shivered at last. "Coffee?"

"Fuck yeah."

To a complete stranger, the usual banter and offensive name-calling would suggest the two boys in the kitchen now should not be left alone together, if they were to be seen alive the next day. But to everyone who knew them, Sasuke and Naruto had a crazy love/hate relationship- best buddies one minute, and tearing at each others' throats for no reason the next. It was alarming at first, but their friends slowly grew accustomed to it. What mattered at the end of the day was that their bond was unbreakable. Sasuke knew, if it ever came down to it, Naruto would always have his back, as he would for Naruto without a second's hesitation.

As he reached for the coffee jar, Sasuke marvelled at how little had changed since the first day they moved in together.

Just over two years ago, his brother had been quick to bombard his mind with horror stories about students who'd left sorting out accommodation too late. Since he first voiced that he was considering moving out while studying, Itachi had taken it upon himself to make sure his little brother was ready to look after himself. With the help of his mother, he had been trained to cook, clean, and manage other living tasks to an acceptable degree. Sasuke was more than aware he'd been pampered in the Uchiha manor all his life, and wanted to stand on his own two feet for once. He was eighteen now, for crying out loud. It was time he grew up.

Itachi had managed to secure one of the hundred classy double apartments available to students, which were offered on a strict first-come-first-serve basis. Sasuke would know exactly where he would be waking up on the first day of term. According to the accommodation office, he would be sharing the room (and rent) with another male student, named Suigetsu. His details had been passed on, and the two future roommates met up a few times before the start of term to get acquainted. Sasuke wasn't planning on getting a job while studying, and with the strict budget his father had planned for him, he needed another person to help pay for the small, yet luxurious campus rooms.

And Suigetsu was someone Sasuke found himself getting along with quite well. He was a year older than Sasuke, having taken a gap year to gain some work experience working at his local aquarium. The boy had humour, plenty to talk about and was extremely organised in everything he did. All seemed to be in order.

However, three days before the start of term, Suigetsu had called Sasuke saying he wouldn't be attending University this year either, due to some urgent family circumstances. Panicking, Sasuke rang Itachi (and silently cursed himself for being so totally useless without his brother's constant guidance) and told him the situation. The two brothers had marched up to the accommodation office that very same day and demanded someone else be given a place with him before term began. After much convincing, the woman in the office pulled out a waiting list. The first name had been Naruto's, and Sasuke had taken his number and called him that evening.

There had been no time for pleasantries in those few hours; Naruto had only just been informed that he had a place waiting for him on campus, and there was no need to continue looking for apartments near the university. Excited, but tied down with frantic last-minute packing, Naruto had suggested their first meeting should take place tomorrow when they would move in together. Uneasy and not knowing what to expect for the first time in his life, Sasuke had reluctantly agreed. What other choice did he have?

The blonde had been slumped against the stairwell of their building with two huge suitcases and a gym bag bursting at the seams, looking exhausted. He'd looked up as Sasuke entered and given him a massive grin, like he'd been waiting his whole life to see him. The Uchiha's nervousness kicked up a notch.

"Are you Sasuke?" he'd asked.

Sasuke hadn't replied.

The male stood up, scratching the back of his head. "See, I've kinda...I've lost my key. I had so much other stuff to look after, I must have dropped it somewhere without realising. And my phone's dead, so I couldn't exactly call and tell you... My uncle's probably already at the airport by now and-"

"Naruto?" Sasuke had cut him off. _This couldn't be him..._

"Yeah?"

_It was him...this was the guy he was going to be living with for at least the rest of the year?_

"You've just gone ahead and told me, someone you've never seen in your life, that you're completely helpless right now." His voice was unnaturally steady. "I could knock you out, go through what seems to be your entire lifetime's possessions and be off with your valuables before you even knew what was going on."

Naruto had just stared. Fear began creeping into his expression.

"Are you always this careless with information?" Sasuke asked sceptically.

"Yeah..." the blonde had replied sheepishly. "My uncle would have said the exact same thing, you know. But that would have come _after_ he'd already knocked me out and stolen my things, just to teach me a lesson." He laughed again.

"And still you're this stupid?"

"Hey- what?" Naruto shouted. "Take that back, you bastard! You don't even know me!"

Sasuke recoiled in shock at the outburst. "Do you permanently speak with such foul language?"

"Do you permanently have a twelve-inch stick up your ass?"

That was it.

Sasuke had thrown the first punch, more out of sheer desperation than with an intention to hurt. Everything about the blonde seemed to scream 'WARNING - HIGH MAINTENANCE', and Sasuke had no intention of chasing after this boy's every little need. He had his own problems to take care of. However, Naruto had surprised him and dodged swiftly out of the way before swiping a leg at Sasuke's ankles. Luckily, he'd seen the move coming and retreated back.

In that instant, those few seconds of heated aggression, the two boys glared at each other hatefully. There had to be some mistake. There was no way the two would ever get along, let alone be able to tolerate each other enough to live together. Naruto saw a pompous, rich snob who couldn't see past the end of his nose, while Sasuke saw a careless, clueless fool who probably didn't even know how to tie his own shoelaces.

But one thing they had in common right now was their stubbornness; Sasuke knew if he backed out of the arrangement now, he would be seen as nothing but a coward in Naruto's eyes. Naruto was having similar thoughts. In that stairwell, an unspoken challenge rang through the air- _I'll be better at tolerating your bullshit than you'll be at tolerating mine. If anyone's leaving, it's not going to be me._

_Really, _Sasuke had thought. _This is one drama I could do without._

Then he'd made his way to the elevator doors, trolley in hand, without looking back at the blonde.

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><p>Sasuke smirked at the memory now and handed Naruto his coffee.<p>

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><p><strong>Please review! It would really make my day :') <strong>

**T**


	3. Unease

**A/N: This is up earlier than I thought it would be! :D I had a mega-crazy weekend, work piled up as a result, should have been doing that but this started typing itself instead. Honest. It wasn't me... and oh dear, I have three deadlines next week which I haven't even touched... O_O' right. No more writing for the week! Argh!**

**Shoutout to sammycakes for being my first reviewer ever~! I was moved, yay! And everyone else who left feedback, much much love!**

**Discalimer: Kishimoto-sensei, not me. Bleh.**

**Onward!**

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><p>Concerning most things, Uzumaki Naruto was lazy by nature; anything that required the slightest bit of extra effort was usually neglected and never considered again.<p>

He was one of those guys who would spend more time and effort over something to _prevent_ him from doing another task later on. For instance, Sasuke had walked in to their apartment one evening after classes to find Naruto lounging on the two-seater couch. The TV was showing a documentary, but he wasn't watching it. A heap of pencils and rubber bands lay in his lap. The blonde was lying there meticulously tying together the ends of two pencils, and then repeating the process to create a long stick of pencils. After a full minute of Sasuke starting at him, Naruto had finally looked up.

"What?"

"... I give up." Sasuke had said, dumping his bag on the floor. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're hoping to accomplish with this."

"Need to change the channel." Naruto mumbled, attaching another pencil carefully. He stretched out his arm, testing to see if the end of his make-shift lance could reach the channel up/down buttons on the front of the TV. "Maybe two more..."

Another minute went by.

"Um, Naruto?" Sasuke said quietly.

"Mmm?"

"The remote is on top of the TV, you do know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know." He shrugged. "I have to _move_ from here to get it. I'm comfortable, so I'm not shifting now. One more!"

At this point, Sasuke had taken the two step distance between the couch and the telly, grabbed the remote and tossed it at Naruto's forehead with deadly accuracy. To his dismay however, the blonde had dropped the growing pencil staff to the carpet and caught the remote in the blink of an eye. Then he'd grinned up at him.

"Love you, bastard." He smiled. "That was my real intention all along. You sure took your time to get up here, by the way."

He flipped through the channels and decided to watch the last half of some movie. Sasuke didn't stick around to find out what it was. He left to take a long, hot shower before he murdered something. _That idiot doesn't even realise what he's saying half the time._

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><p>Rounding the corner, Naruto glanced at his phone. 8:58AM, the screen announced proudly. <em>Made it, <em>he thought.

It was actually kind of reassuring now that he thought about it. He didn't have to worry about the _little things_, and Naruto was always one to count the little things in life. Anything he didn't have to make an extra conscious _effort _over was always a plus. Like now, he didn't have to worry about making sure the door didn't creak too loudly while walking in, or standing by it until it softly shut. He would be able to walk _normally _and find a seat, he noted, rather than having keep his head down to avoid the glare of the lecturers and the other students who thought they were oh-so-much better than everyone else. _Fuckers, _he decided quietly. Maybe he'd let Sasuke wake him up early again, he decided.

He walked in and saw the lecture hall was pretty packed. This was a popular module choice, and one that some of his other friends had chosen. Naruto craned his neck over the group of chattering girls (who were just standing in the middle of the stairs) to scan for a familiar face.

Someone waved at him from the second row. Naruto looked over his shoulder to see if there was anyone behind him. He hadn't recognised the guy. _Well, _he reasoned. _It's hard to see his face under those shades...wait, we're indoors. Why the hell is he wearing shades?_

"Naruto."

Fuck. He couldn't tell who had spoken over all the noise. The voice had been intensely deep. He was standing on the stairs and looking seriously into nearby faces, not recognising anyone. _And looking stupid while doing so_, he realised. The girls on the stairs began to giggle. Shit, they were looking right at him.

On an impulse, the blonde made a beeline for the empty seat next to Sunglasses, not caring anymore. He sat down and leaned his elbows against the table, looking ahead. There was no lecturer on stage.

"I was worried you hadn't recognised me." That deep, emotionless voice again. _Sunglasses_.

"Ahahahaha," Naruto laughed nervously, looking to his right at last. "Come on, as if I'd forget you man! How've you been? I hate morning lectures, don't you?"

_Who the fuck is this guy? _His mind screamed.

Sunglasses seemed to stare right into his soul. He didn't speak, or even move, and Naruto wasn't sure if he'd heard or not. The bottom half of his face was hidden behind the large collar of a coat, making his expression (if there even was one) totally unreadable. He could see himself reflected in the dark plastic. Naruto felt that familiar sensation he'd learnt to associate with heading deeper and deeper into a self-dug grave. He pulled out his phone as a distraction, and Sunglasses continued to regard him in silence.

"Naruto!" came a voice from the door. "Dude, you're early! What the hell happened?"

_Thank fuck for that, _his mind groaned in relief. "Kiba! Get your ass here!"

A boy with shaggy brown hair sat to Naruto's left, dumping a shoulder bag onto the table. His oldest friend grinned at him and then leaned forward to look at Sunglasses.

"Hey Shino!" he waved. "You done the essay?"

"Hello Kiba." Sunglasses replied, without changing his tone. "Yes, I have. But it's due in after the second lecture, isn't it?"

The _'I think I'm falling in deep, but have no idea why'_ feeling was replaced by another equally familiar one, though just as unpleasant. It was the cold, creeping feeling of dread, and was starting to crawl up Naruto's spine for a number of reasons.

One, he had no idea about any essay. But if Kiba had brought it up, he was willing to bet his weekend lie-in it counted towards their final grade. Two, it was due in at the end of second lecture, which meant he had some kind of time slot to salvage something passable; that much at least he was sure about, but it still wasn't good news. Three, the guy on his right was Shino. _Shino._ As far as he could remember, the last time Naruto had seen the bastard had been when they were kids at school. Had he really been at Konoha all this time?

"Naruto," Shino murmured in an undertone, making him want to slide into a cold, cold swamp and let it swallow him. "You never say anything to me, but you'd really forgotten about me, hadn't you? Kiba hasn't. I'm in every one of your lectures, you know that?"

"Whaaaaaat?" Kiba's voice broke in, oblivious to Shino's lament. "Dammit, I got up at five to do this fucking thing and its due in later?"

_Yup. It definitely counts. And It counts a lot if he was up so early. Forget Shino for now._

"Oi, Kiba," Naruto found his voice at last, and nudged him. "What essay? What's it on?"

"You're fucking kidding me, right?" he gaped. "Tell me you're joking. That hench 3000 word one on genetic techniques and shit. TMA, PKU, how you figure out what mutates where... Naruto, what you were explaining to me _three days ago,_ and-"

"I need paper." He said hoarsely. "Get me something to write on. And a pen."

"It needs to be typed!" Kiba said. "We need to give in two copies - one online and one with a cover sheet after next lecture. He won't mark handwritten copies!"

"What?" Naruto stood up now. "Fuck. Fuck...okay, I don't have time for lecture, I'm going to the library. Do you have yours on you? I just need to see what needs to be mentioned."

His mind was racing. Why did this all have to happen today? Why couldn't he have a day that didn't involve any last-minute rushing around?

Kiba dug around in his bag before pulling out a white USB memory stick. He slipped it into Naruto's hand as he sidled past.

"It's in the folder titled MD." He called out. "Naruto, I need that back before the end of second lecture!"

Naruto turned around and graced him with his classic determined expression.

"I've got three hours, right?" he said seriously. "And it's only on stuff he's covered in lectures? Or extra stuff as well?"

"Lectures and the reading material," Kiba replied. "Go! It's worth thirty percent of..."

He saw Kiba's eyes shift to the entrance of the hall, then widen slightly. Uneasy all over again, Naruto glanced at his phone and saw the time was almost a quarter past nine. Kakashi-san had knack for showing up a little late for his own lectures most of the time, but never seemed to be short on words for others who dared walk in after the hour.

Naruto realised he was the only one standing in the middle of the hall. When had everyone stopped talking? The silence suffocated him now, and all he heard echoing in his mind was his own voice wondering if this day could get any worse.

"Uzumaki," Kakashi spoke to his back. He heard the sound of a briefcase being set on the front desk. "I was just about to congratulate you for making it to lecture before myself. This is a turning point in history, it seems."

There was light laughter around the hall.

"But it looks as though you won't be gracing us with your presence after all?" He continued, cocking his head slightly. "Are we keeping you from something important?"

Naruto felt ill. Gripping Kiba's memory stick in his hand tightly, he turned and made his way past the stage and out through the doors as fast as he could. His eyes were fixed on the ground, like they always were.

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><p><strong>AN: right, I'm hereby putting myself on a ban from FF for the next week. Or I will be very very behind with...everything :( ARGH. Uni sucks...**

**Please review and lift my spirits...**

**T**


	4. First Day

**A/N: I'm back! I'm sorry to all the people who left reviews, I'll reply right now! :O I love you! And thank you for being so patient! I hope to get across some of the horrors of third year uni life as this fic goes on, so you can all see what I'm going through! *cries***

**But yeah, ahem. There's going to be a lot of flitting back and forth between third year and really early days of first year. A lot has happened over the two years before we know Sasuke and Naruto as how they are now. Hopefully it's not too confusing...I tried my best!**

**And shoutout to the wonderful Sake-Chama! Your words have a profound effect on my writing and keep me especially motivated! Thank you so so much! *hugs***

**Onward! :D**

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><p><em>Just over two years ago...<em>

Sasuke woke to the sound of his phone alarm. He blinked in the semi-darkness for a moment before sitting up and glancing around the unfamiliar room. It was a lot smaller than his bedroom at home, but that was to be expected. He frowned at the open suitcase on the floor, half his things spilling out onto the floor; Sasuke did not believe in leaving a task unfinished before moving on to the next, and vowed to be waking up to an uncluttered carpet this time tomorrow.

He stretched slowly and stepped out of bed.

Careful not to trip over anything (_God, what would his mother have said if she'd seen his room now?_), he opened the curtains and let the September morning light flood in. While locating his toothbrush and some clothes, he remembered the boy on the other side of the wall.

Sasuke was suddenly grateful for the design of their apartment. One corridor connected three rooms, which were protected by a single locked door. After Sasuke had let them in, he'd immediately gone to the first room on the right. Naruto was behind him. They hadn't said a word since the exchange in the stairwell, and Sasuke wasn't going to make the first move. At this moment in time, he didn't even want to see the blonde.

The first room (the only one without a lock) was the kitchen, which the Uchiha quickly inspected from the door and stepped back out. He then went to the door immediately opposite the kitchen and tried one of the two keys. It opened into a decent sized bedroom with a single bed, a desk, wardrobe, bedside table and another door, which he assumed was the en suite. He took the other key off the ring and tossed it to the blonde behind him.

"Don't lose this one." He muttered without turning. "Or you won't be able to get in to your own room."

"I don't need you to tell me that." Naruto grumbled back. "I take it the other room's mine then?"

"Well done." Sasuke said, then pulled his trolley into the room and shut the door without another word. He'd heard the other boy enter his own room a few seconds later.

* * *

><p>Sasuke showered, dressed and sat on the bed drying his hair with a towel; he wasn't about to risk catching a cold on his first day of University.<p>

_University, _the word echoed in his mind. The entire concept had seemed so big, so advanced, so _grown-up, _and it was hard to believe he was actually here now. He thought back to Suigetsu, and noted how much the older male had accomplished in his life so far. And it wasn't just him, but many others he'd known from school and college. Sasuke had never had a job. He'd never been out of the country or even away from home for more than forty-eight hours. He didn't have a car. He didn't have any pets. He'd never had any responsibility other than studying hard, staying at the top of his class and keeping out of trouble.

The raven was quiet by nature, and preferred to keep to himself, forming loose friendships with only a few select people. He knew he must have been good-looking from the way all the girls used to blush and giggle whenever he would go past, but paid them no attention. They were annoying. If he was ever going to consider going out with anyone, she would have to be someone who didn't worship the very ground he walked on. He'd had enough of dealing with that his whole life.

Everyone in their town was aware of the well-established Uchiha family, and their two promising sons. Itachi had soared through his education and Sasuke was doing a good job of living up to any expectations his family had of him. Both parents were the heads of a huge cosmetics company, and it was Uchiha Fugaku's intention of making the heirs to his beloved company none other than his very own sons. Itachi was a Business graduate, and was already climbing higher and higher up in the company with each passing year. Sasuke's strengths lay in Science, and was aiming for the Research and Development unit, where his mother currently worked. He had chosen a degree in Natural Sciences, and planned on getting a Masters in Cosmetic Chemistry once he graduated. The Uchiha name rested on his and his brother's shoulders, and he was determined to become the best possible asset his family could have. That was also the reason he had aimed for Konoha; a degree from _this_ University looked good no matter what you wanted to do. And people took you seriously.

Inevitably, there were some days where Sasuke wished he was just an average teenager from an average family, aiming for an average job. There wouldn't be any expectation from him. Life would be simple, and maybe not so pre-ordained. He wouldn't have to constantly work harder than hard in class, aim to be the best in everything; there would be nothing wrong with working at his own pace, since he was naturally bright. He wondered how his parents would have reacted if he'd told them he had no interest in the family company and wanted to become, say...a musician? Or an engineer? Not that he wanted to, he assured himself. He just sometimes wondered.

_Pointless, _he chided himself silently.

Pulling his laptop out from his bag, he logged on to the University site and brought up his timetable. Monday mornings began at 10am with 'General Cell Biology', it seemed. It was just after half eight now. Sasuke felt his stomach grumble; he hadn't left his room after last night, and was now hungry. There was plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast (though he'd have to get something from outside, since there wasn't anything currently stocked in the kitchen) and familiarising himself with the campus. It was huge, and he didn't fancy turning up late to his first lecture because he got lost.

* * *

><p>The lecture had lasted two hours. Sasuke had no problem keeping up with note-taking, and headed to the library straight away to look at the supplementary reading material the lecturer had recommended to anyone who interested (or bothered). He had a tutorial at half past two, which gave him a nice gap to check out the books and have lunch.<p>

The blonde hadn't decided to show up either, he realised. Had he even woken up on time? He'd missed a whole load of information, including all the registration procedures they'd have to do in order to be entered for lab sessions later in the week...

_Too bad, _Sasuke thought, scanning his ID into the library barriers. _Who knows how someone like him had made it to Konoha. A copy of our key is floating around somewhere nearby, and anyone could have access to our apartment by now. We should get the lock replaced._

He was so deep in thought that he didn't realise there was someone in his path.

"Oof!"

"Ah!" came a startled voice.

Sasuke glanced up and saw that he'd walked right into a student who'd been heading for the exit.

"I apologise," Sasuke said, inclining his head slightly. "I should have been looking where I was going. Are you hurt?"

"No! I am positively one-hundred percent fine, thank you! I was walking faster than I should have been, so it is entirely my fault! You are not to blame at all!"

Sasuke fought the urge to laugh at the enthusiastic reply, and looked closer. The first thing he noticed was the guy's _eyebrows_. They seemed to cover his entire forehead. He was slightly taller than Sasuke and had black hair styled into an unusual bob. The student seemed to be fizzing with some sort of excitement, dancing on his toes. Sasuke took a step back.

"A-are you certain?" he asked concerned.

"Perfectly!" the boy exclaimed. "I was trying to see if I could make it to the library courtyard in twelve seconds, which was unnecessary now that I think about it." He smiled sheepishly. "You look like a new face. Are you a first year?"

For some unknown, illogical reason, Sasuke found himself warming immediately to the student. He couldn't explain it; the guy seemed loud and hyper, but there was such sincere emotion in his eyes that Sasuke couldn't just brush him off.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He said, holding out a hand. "And yes, I had my first lectures today."

"Rock Lee." The boy smiled back. He had a firm grip. "I'm in my second year, so I know the place pretty well. Is there anything you want to know? Do you know how to use the library? The system here takes some getting used to. I remember on my first day..."

* * *

><p>Lee had spent the next hour with Sasuke, talking with him about certain lecturers he should watch out for, and pointing out all the sections of the (<em>enormous<em>) library he may need throughout the year. Once he had shown the older boy his timetable, Lee had picked out titles that would help with all of his modules.

"The first year is pretty much the same for all Biology and Chemistry students," he explained. "The classes are huge, so you won't have trouble making friends. And a lot of the general textbooks have all the concepts you'll need in them, but some are obviously full of extra material. Read selectively, and try not to get bogged down with anything you don't actually need."

Sasuke realised Lee was an exceptionally hard worker. He sensed the other boy had made it through his first year by studying long, intense hours. From the sounds of it, he'd spent more time in the library than his own home. And Lee was _organised_, he thought in relief. Unlike his scatter-brained roommate. He felt like he'd just made a valuable friend, and as Lee left the library at five to one for his first lecture, Sasuke temporarily forgot about the drama with Naruto and walked to the lunch hall with a slight spring in his step.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I think I like doing one chapter focussing on Naruto, and the next on Sasuke...so its Naruto next chapter? :)**

**Please review! *bows***

**T**


	5. Love Me

**A/N: I think I'll aim to update more or less weekly...sound fair? :)**

**Right, this was what was happening on the other side of the wall the same day we left Sasuke in the previous chapter. I believe it's longer than the others, but it's also got more 'meat' in it too, if you know what I mean xD I do hope it is well-received. I think it's the best chapter yet...**

**Onward~**

* * *

><p><em>Just over two years ago...<em>

After fifteen minutes of hunting through various pockets, side-pouches and other random places around his new room, Naruto finally succeeded in locating his phone. It had been on silent under his pillow the whole time, faithfully respecting its owner's wishes to sleep undisturbed for as long as possible. Yawning, he checked the screen.

_Crap_, was his initial reaction. The display read 1:22pm, which meant he'd slept through the entire morning. He hadn't gotten round to checking if he had any early classes; after the heated run-in with that stuck-up roommate of his, the blonde had simply wanted a quick shower and some much-needed, beloved _sleep_. Naruto sincerely hoped he hadn't missed anything important. He also had four missed calls from his uncle, one from Kiba and a text from Gaara.

Feeling the ground sway slightly under him, Naruto opened Gaara's message.

_12:03pm - wanna hang out today? _

He hesitated a moment, then replied back with - _Call u later_

Naruto tossed the phone back onto his bed and forced himself to concentrate on finding out what he was supposed to be doing today. He fired up his laptop, which showed the welcome screen for an instant, and then blacked out. Blinking at it in disbelief, he swore under his breath.

Another ten minutes were spent locating the charger.

* * *

><p>Two lectures missed, it seemed. Not exactly the greatest start to Uni life, but it wasn't the end of the world either.<p>

Naruto pulled out a few important papers he'd been given at enrolment during the summer. He scanned through them now and followed the instructions to activate his campus email address. Apparently, anything important which needed to be conveyed at University was achieved through this address, and should be checked at least daily, the sheet dictated.

As he logged in, the screen proudly boasted the Konoha logo before redirecting to his inbox. Naruto found there were two emails there already. The first seemed like a standard one welcoming him to the institution (and would no doubt contain a detailed list of rules and things which SHOULD NOT be done under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES), and the other was from a... Tenzou Yamato?

_My tutor_, he suddenly realised, clicking on it. He read through the email at top speed, and then glanced at the time again. _Fuck, _he groaned inwardly. _I've got exactly five minutes before my first tutorial. Fuck!_

By five past two, Yamato had almost made it to the end of the register. "Kiba?"

"Here."

"Hinata?"

"Here."

"Naruto?"

Silence.

Yamato looked up and scanned the room once while asking, louder this time, "Uzumaki Naruto?"

There was a rapid knock on the door, before it was thrown open to reveal a student, slightly out of breath. His clothes were dishevelled, as though they'd just been thrown on moments before. A tan shoulder peeked out from the lopsided neck of his plain white t-shirt. Everyone in the room looked up as he grinned in triumph.

"That's me, Yamato-sensei," the blonde panted, shutting the door behind him. "I'm so sorry I'm late."

"That's quite alright, Naruto." Yamato replied, gesturing to one of the empty seats. "Just try to be earlier next time."

Naruto let out a sigh of relief. As he sat, he glanced around at the dozen or so unfamiliar faces, before flashing a smile at Kiba. The brunette rolled his eyes in response, as if to say, _why am I not surprised?_

* * *

><p>By three, the session had ended, and the students began filing out of Yamato's small office in little groups.<p>

"Dude!" Kiba said, clapping Naruto on the shoulder. "I called you this morning! You missed lectures."

"I know," he replied in shame. "I was asleep man, completely out of it."

"Nothing new." He laughed.

Kiba and Naruto walked together slowly. The two had known each other since they were children, becoming fast friends and spending hours upon hours at each others' homes playing video games, watching movies, generally doing all the things which boys grew up on. Naruto had no siblings, and Kiba had one sister who was considerably older than them; they relied heavily on each other's company for most things. Kiba was a loyal, trusted friend with whom Naruto shared everything in his life with, and vice versa. They'd been together at school, college, and now again at University. Some part of Naruto reminded him it was unlikely that they'd see _as_ much of each other once they'd graduated, but he ignored the feeling. He had other things on his mind right now.

"Gaara texted." Naruto said quietly.

Kiba shot him a wary glance. "What did he want?"

"Think he wants to meet up." Naruto shrugged in response. "I said I'd call him."

"...you're going, aren't you?"

"I think I should." He replied after a moment. "Why, do you think I-"

"You already _know_ what I think, Naruto." Kiba sighed. "You should steer well clear of him. He's just gonna end up hurting you again. The guy's fucking twisted."

"He just asked me if I wanna hang out, nothing else." he replied, somewhat defensively. "Who's to say he doesn't simply wanna to see how I'm doing after all this time? We haven't spoken all summer."

"'Haven't spoken all summer' is not the same thing as 'refused to answer my calls and texts demanding why he left me in such a state that night'." the other boy pointed out. "Seriously, ignore him. You've got bigger things to worry about now. We're at University for Christ's sake! Forget about that bastard and just move on."

"Like it's that damn easy..." Naruto muttered through clenched teeth.

"Um, excuse me?" came a quiet voice from behind.

The two boys turned around to find the tiny, shy-looking girl from their tutorial. She was looking directly at Naruto's shoes, a light blush dancing across her pale cheeks.

"Hinata-chan, right?" Kiba smiled at her. "What's up?"

"Forgive me," She began, bowing slightly. "But I overheard you saying that you missed the morning lectures?"

Naruto wondered for a moment what _else _this chick had overheard.

"Yeah," he nodded. "General Cell Bio. Did I miss anything important?"

"We need to write up an essay for next lecture." She replied softly. Her tone was even, very deliberate and somehow regal. "The title is 'What is Cell Biology'. And it shouldn't be more than a page."

"Shit, thanks!" Naruto beamed down at her, and then glared at Kiba. "And when were you planning on telling me this? Some best bud _you _are."

"Whatever. Serves you right for over-sleeping." He answered, distracted.

"Also..." Hinata said. "I wouldn't mind photocopying my notes for you, if they would be useful to you. Shizune-sensei covered a fair amount of material, and I believe the online slides may not be sufficient if you were to look at them for the first time. I think I managed to write down everything of importance."

"Really?" Naruto gasped, before leaning down to grab one of her hands, and bring it up between their faces. "You're a total lifesaver, you know that? It's Hinata, right? I'm Naruto!"

Kiba witnessed the sheer level of shock as it rippled into a full-fledged tsunami on the girl's face. Her eyes widened, almost fearfully as she gazed up at Naruto, realising how close they were. Hinata's cheeks flushed a gorgeous bright pink, before she shut her eyes and wrenched her hands away from his. Naruto just carried on grinning, totally oblivious.

"It is an honour to meet you, Naruto-kun." She coughed, trying to regain some composure. "Hyuuga Hinata."

_Idiot doesn't have the slightest clue she fancies the pants off him, does he?_ Kiba mused. _This guy really needs a lesson in reading obvious body language. Then again, she has no idea at all that he's not even interested in women. Ah, how tragic._

"Shall we go to the library then?" Kiba smiled, recovering from his thoughts. "Photocopiers are there."

They nodded, and the three of them were off.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Naruto sat on one of the walls not far from the University's gates. The main building was a two minute walk from the nearest train station, and it was visible from where he was now. It was around half past six, and the sky had a subtle tinge of orange to it, a warm hue of evening blowing in the autumn wind. Naruto shivered, but not from the breeze.<p>

He was nervous. And there was very little in the world that made him nervous. He had called Gaara an hour earlier, (much to Kiba's protests) and the other male had agreed to meet Naruto at Konoha.

They had almost been seventeen when they'd initially met. Naruto saw Gaara during his first year of college. They shared a few classes. People rarely interacted with him, whereas Naruto was forever surrounded by new faces every day. He seemed to radiate such warmth and love to everyone around him. The other boy seemed to emit something entirely different. _Hostile_, even. He never spoke to anyone, and no one looked as though they wanted to speak to him either. But this seemed to suit the quieter male just fine.

Curious, Naruto had approached him. Gaara had ignored him. Naruto had persisted, trying to get the other boy to open up a little. Most days, Naruto would smile and sit with him during lunch, talking aimlessly about absolutely nothing. Again, Gaara never spoke back. However, there was one lunch time when he'd fixed him with an unblinking stare, and asked,

"Why do you insist on trying to talk to me?"

Elated, Naruto had replied "Because you seem so lonely. You always look around at people and everything else with hate. And emptiness... Look, I can't explain it, but it bugs me, ok? I hate seeing people down all the time! I don't want anyone around me to feel like shit, if I can help it."

Gaara said nothing, waiting.

"I..." Naruto swallowed, careful of his next words. "I don't wanna know _why_ you are the way you are. That's your business. We all have something hanging over us from the past. But... I don't like seeing people stuck there. I've been there myself, trust me. It's shit. But it doesn't have to be like that forever. I promise."

"How can you be so sure?" the other male replied sceptically. "What makes you so certain that whatever you went through is on the same level as what I've endured?"

"Your eyes." He said, looking into them with his own confident blue ones. "Those eyes are the same as mine from back then. I know what they've seen."

The other boy gazed back, intrigued now. "What happened? What made you change?" He didn't recognise his own voice.

"I gave people a chance. I opened my heart to them, made friends and formed bonds. I learnt to love."

"I have no one to love." was the emotionless reply.

"Love me." Naruto said simply.

* * *

><p>Over the next month, Gaara never left Naruto's side. They were always together, both in and out of college. He never spoke with anyone else, despite the blonde's best efforts to get him involved with his other friends. But when they were alone, Gaara talked to Naruto at great lengths while he listened. The guy had indeed been through hell. It pained Naruto to hear all the terrible events that had moulded his friend into this empty, hateful shell. It hurt knowing someone had gone through so many fucked up things and wasn't even a qualified adult yet.<p>

By November, Gaara had confessed he needed Naruto more than just a friend. Realising his own feelings and wanting to do anything to help him, Naruto admitted he felt the same way.

Their love over the next year and a half was a dangerous concoction of fiery passion, anger, extreme trust, sacrifice, love, hate and everything in between. Naruto wasn't sure if Gaara was improving or steadily getting worse. He always held on to Naruto as though he were a lifeline, a connection; not as though he loved him, but as though he physically _needed_ him.

And at times, he could see a deranged look of insanity lurking in the depths of those green eyes.

There were a few times Gaara would disappear for days. He wouldn't answer Naruto's calls, nor his questions when he'd returned. Naruto was always so relieved to see him in one piece that he eventually gave up asking. He would sometimes hurt Naruto, say terrifying things to him, repeat over and over again that he hated him. Alarmed at first, Naruto slowly began to accustom to his lover's outbursts; whatever Gaara needed to do, Naruto would let him do, even at the cost of his own happiness. His love for the other male ran deep through him, down to his last drop of blood. The other boy had serious issues, but Naruto was the one to deal with them. He loved Gaara, loved him more than he'd loved anyone else in his life.

And he knew Gaara loved and needed him just as much as he did.

* * *

><p>Seeing the familiar shock of bright red hair now snapped Naruto out of his deep thoughts. Gaara was heading out of the station. He looked around before spotting the blonde perched on the wall and began crossing the road.<p>

Naruto wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he simply could not shake that feeling of unease that had settled over his shoulders.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I've given myself a stiff neck from all this hunching over my laptop (=_=)' I vow to write the next chapter sitting in a more appropriate manner.**

**Reviews are more appreciated than you will ever know ^_^**


	6. Nothing Changes

**A/N: Shoutout to MSRF (you know who you are) for getting in touch. Again, thank you so much and I hope this has made a difference... also, to anyone else who thought the plot wasn't moving as fast as it probably should be, here's a slightly earlier chapter than usual to compensate. Yes, perhaps I should have planned things a little better, but what's done is done, and I'll try and learn from it :)**

**Thank you for having the patience to stick with my story, and for all the favourites/alerts, you have my deepest, deepest gratitude *bows deeply* really, you make me all smile like :D that, whenever I get a notification. Ah, I'm so easily amused ^.^' enough from me now-**

**ONWARD PEOPLE!**

* * *

><p><em>Just over two years ago...<em>

"Hey," Naruto smiled when the other male had finally reached him. His heart was pounding, but he forced his voice to remain steady. "It's been a while."

Gaara said nothing, and sat on the wall beside him, looking ahead. There were other students walking up and down the pavement in conversation, a few cars and bicycles driving by, but the level of noise was comfortable. No one seemed disturbed by the two teenagers anyway; they were just part of the University scenery.

"How are you?" he tried again. "I kept wondering if you were okay."

"Aren't you mad about that night?" Gaara asked quietly. He still refused to look at the blonde.

Naruto's stomach somersaulted.

"Why..?" his voice croaked, and he cleared his throat. He really hadn't wanted to talk about this, at least not right away. "Why would I be mad?"

At last, the redhead turned to stare at him. Naruto fought back the sudden urge to flinch at the emotions he saw in the other boy's expression; raw, disbelief flashed across his face and those never-ending green eyes held unmistakeable anger in their depths. His mouth was open, as though he were about to say a million things, yet nothing came out. For some unknown reason, Gaara was pissed.

Naruto said nothing, nor did he move. He simply met the contorted emotions with a level, unbroken look of his own. He'd known Gaara long enough to not be troubled by that expression, unlike everyone else who immediately backed off from it. He knew when he was in any real danger of getting hurt. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't _want_ to see Gaara after all this time; it had been almost _four months_ since he'd seen or even heard from his..._lover_.

_Why is that word accompanied by hesitance all of a sudden? _He wondered.

"You really are not upset in the slightest?" Gaara asked finally.

"Well," Naruto admitted. "I'm not _happy_ about it either, Gaara. But...it's not like you haven't done stuff like this before."

Another flash of emotion. Naruto ignored it.

"But it's just been so long since I've seen you, had you this close to me again." The blonde said, almost pleadingly.

He forced himself to keep looking into Gaara's eyes, let him see the truth and conviction in them. Very carefully, Naruto placed his left hand gently over the right one on Gaara's knees, never looking away. "I don't care what you put me through, or why you even do it. I told you before- you could say or do anything, but you're still _you_. That doesn't change."

The other boy regarded Naruto with a solemn expression that even he couldn't read.

"Gaara," Naruto began.

He didn't get any further.

In that second, Gaara kissed him. He'd closed the gap between them and planted his lips on Naruto's with his eyes shut. Naruto's widened in surprise for a moment, before he realised what was going on.

_God, he feels so good,_ his mind seemed to whimper. Nothing else was going on around him, nothing else mattered. Naruto could have been in another city, in another time frame, or even heading out of the atmosphere in a rocket to another planet; none of it mattered. Gaara was here, beside him. He was _actually_ here.

The blonde closed his eyes and pressed against Gaara's lips a little harder, as though testing the waters. Gaara twisted his body towards Naruto and wrapped both arms around his shoulders in a tight embrace, kissing him back with ardour. Naruto suddenly couldn't breathe. His hands flew up to rest on the other male's chest, and he could feel the heart beating under his palms. Gaara had him trapped, pinned to his body, almost crushing him. And Naruto could practically feel himself slipping as Gaara kissed back with increasing force, making him lean back into those strong arms.

He gasped, and felt Gaara's tongue against his own, lips working fervently. Naruto moved his hands to the back of the redhead's neck, pulling him in deeper to their kiss. Gaara grunted, before breaking away and looking down into Naruto's eyes.

"How far is your place?" He asked, breathless.

"Right behind this building." Naruto panted back.

* * *

><p>After his tutorial that day, Sasuke remembered Naruto only had a key to his bedroom, not to the apartment itself. He left to make a copy of their main door key and dropped it in Naruto's letterbox; he didn't want the idiot calling him at all hours of the day to let him in. The next morning, the blonde had texted him with a simple '<em>thanks :)'<em>. Sasuke hadn't replied.

Since then, they had managed to avoid seeing each other almost completely. Naruto was hardly ever up in the apartment, and whenever Sasuke was, he was always locked away in his room. The blonde never used their kitchen, which the Uchiha was somewhat grateful for; he could quite clearly imagine a scenario where the other boy had just set the entire place on fire due to his carelessness. And it also meant he didn't have to worry about things like opening the fridge in the morning to find he had unexpectedly run out of milk.

He stocked the cupboards and shelves with his own food and cutlery. What ran out was replenished before the day was over. The Uchiha cooked his own meals and washed up everything he ate from. His mother would have been proud. It was essentially _his_ kitchen, and he found himself settling into a comfortable routine. It was almost as though he were living alone, and the whole arrangement with Naruto had been nothing but a bad dream.

But there were times when he wondered if he should give the other boy a chance. After all, they had been in each other's company for under a minute in the stairwell. Plus, the blonde _had_ needed to make a few fast decisions the night before, and was probably just having a bad day. It wasn't worth being mad at him for this long, especially if they were sharing an apartment. It was childish, and immature; all the things Sasuke had promised he'd grow out of.

_Yes,_ he decided in the elevator one Thursday evening. _Things shouldn't be uncomfortable between us now. We're both adults, and I'm sure he's thinking the same thing._

Sasuke walked out of the doors and unlocked the main door.

Immediately, he wanted to run back out.

The first thing he heard was the insane screaming and crashing coming from Naruto's room. The raven froze, alarm coursing through his body. He stood a second longer before realising the monstrous sounds were not somebody getting murdered, but...music; some incredulous part of his mind could identify a beat and rhythm among the racket. His head was pounding. The volume was up so high that Sasuke didn't even hear his own anguished cry as he marched into their corridor, heading to Naruto's open room.

He looked in to find the blonde and some other brown-haired guy (who he recognised from some of their lectures) bouncing wildly on their toes and bopping their heads violently in time to the music. Their eyes were shut and they waved their arms wildly, dancing - if you could call it that - as though possessed. An iPod dock sat guiltily between two huge speakers which seemed to take up half the room. They were obviously having the time of their lives from the carefree and hyped expressions on their faces.

"NARUTO!" Sasuke bellowed.

They didn't hear him.

He glanced down and spotted a thick cable by his feet, and followed it to a socket. With the last shred of sanity he had left, Sasuke moved towards it and wrenched out the plug.

There was a wave of silence as the music abruptly stopped, and the two boys stopped dancing, confused.

"The fuck?" Naruto spun around.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke screeched at them.

The boys looked up, noticing the Uchiha for the first time. Naruto's annoyed expression slowly began to melt into something close to apologetic. The brunette eyed him suspiciously, before turning to Naruto and saying,

"This that rich bastard roommate of yours?"

"Kiba!" the blonde gasped.

Sasuke snapped.

"You've got some real nerve, you know that?" he said dangerously. Naruto was looking slightly uncomfortable, but Kiba folded his arms and frowned in mild disgust. "I live here as well, and I don't recall walking in to my apartment after a long day to hear racket like that being part of the agreement! You're the most inconsiderate, careless, _stupid _person the world has ever seen! How _dare _you?"

"God, you're a bitch in the evening." Kiba rolled his eyes, unfazed by the outburst. "And Naruto's not stupid, princess. Stop acting like you know him."

"I don't care who you are, but you're standing in the middle of a room that I'm paying for." Sasuke growled, ignoring the insults. "And you're going to get out of here this instant."

"This is _Naruto's _room, asshole." Kiba glared back. "And I'm not going anywhere. Quit acting like you can order me around. If you can't stand sharing with him that badly, why don't you just get the fuck out and go share with someone else?"

"You know," the Uchiha replied through clenched teeth. "That's an excellent idea."

And he turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the front door on his way.

"Why'd you do that?" Naruto cried once Sasuke had left. "He didn't do anything!"

"Oh shut it, Naruto." Kiba sighed, collapsing onto the bed behind him. "You should be thanking me. Now you won't have to worry about putting up with him anymore. He'll be out by morning, trust me. I know what those rich types are like."

"You didn't have to say all those things to him though." He scowled. "I was actually planning to start over once he got back, but you had to go ruin it!"

"Why would you even bother, man? Forget him. It's not like you actually _need_ to split the rent anyway." He pointed out. "Just tell Uncle J you need a little more spending money. He's not gonna say no."

Naruto didn't say anything back. A few minutes later, Kiba got up and turned the music back on. The blonde tried to forget about the encounter, but couldn't get the raven's angry expression out of his mind.

* * *

><p>The woman in the student accommodations office wasn't exactly happy to see him.<p>

After reluctantly hearing Sasuke out, she'd stiffly told him there was nothing she could do about whatever issues he was having, since all the other apartments on campus were taken. And all the contracts had already been finalised and couldn't be changed at least til the end of that semester. Besides, she had stressed, if the University didn't receive the agreed weekly payments from him, they had every right to terminate his place without notifying him first. There was nothing more to be said.

Biting back anymore protests, Sasuke trudged out, defeated.

* * *

><p>The next few weeks passed by in a similar manner.<p>

Naruto found himself finally getting used to all the little things he had to keep up with, largely thanks to Kiba and Hinata. Kiba would be outside their front door half an hour before their first lecture or tutorial (much to Sasuke's annoyance), pounding with a heavy fist. Whenever the Uchiha opened the door, Kiba would usually make some remark, like "Oh, you're still here, your highness?". Sasuke never said anything back.

The brunette would barge into Naruto's room and forcefully drag him out of bed. It was the only way to ensure he would get up. Naruto never ate breakfast, and usually pulled on whatever clothes were lying around and made his way to wherever he needed to be. Kiba was used to such a routine, and some part of him even found it amusing.

Things between the two roommates remained as tense as ever. Naruto thought about apologising a few times, but Sasuke always gave out clear '_stay the fuck away from me'_ signals. After a while, the blonde gave up. If he didn't want anything to do with him, it wasn't his problem.

Gaara was another issue.

After that first time, the two boys had met up whenever their respective timetables allowed it. Naruto was relieved to find that things between them had returned to how they had been before that long silence over summer. Gaara seemed lighter and happier than he had ever been, and Naruto took every opportunity to shower the other male with funny stories, romantic lunch dates and passionate kisses. With the exception of Sasuke, everything in Naruto's life so far was as good as it had ever been.

* * *

><p>In the eighth week of University, things changed.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: the more feedback I get, the earlier the next chapter comes out ;) fair?**


	7. An Unspoken Promise

**A/N: I've been ill. And literally SMOTHERED in assignments from Uni. I've had practically no time, nor willpower, or energy to do pretty much anything recreational. So that's why this is so late... But I've recovered now, and there's only one more week til Xmas break, so hopefully I'll be able to update a little more regularly. Hope****. Ful. Ly**** ^_^' sincere apologies for the massive delay...**

**Right, just to clarify, this is the final chapter set in the past. The next one will resume to where we left Naruto panicking about his forgotten essay. This should (again, ****HOPEFULLY**** :O) also clear up a few things anyone's been wondering about. As a result, it's pretty long and intense when compared to the others xD dunno if that's a good or bad thing though... O.o'**

**I'm also about one third of the way through writing this monster of a one-shot, which I want to be absolutely perfect before I post it! :D but to everyone who's been waiting on this chapter and who's been following so far, thank you for your patience, as always! And a super special awesome thank you to the reviewers! :D I'll get to replying as soon as I've posted this! ^_^ I LOVE YOU!**

**Onward~**

* * *

><p><em>Just over two years ago...<em>

Sasuke knew when he was being tailed.

He'd been in the library, putting the finishing touches on a lab report that was due in tomorrow afternoon. It had taken longer than he had anticipated, and was mildly surprised when he saw the time. Almost 9pm, and he hadn't eaten anything since lunch. It was unlike him to lose track like that. He packed away his things, and made his way down the stairs to the revolving doors.

He became aware of them as he walked out into the courtyard. Nothing obvious, just a ripple of something uneasy, ever so slightly touching the edges of his mind. Instinct, perhaps? He could never give a name to that sensation, but he'd learnt to trust it. Instantly, Sasuke was alert.

The days were getting shorter and shorter, and it was especially dark tonight. He was thankful for the few yellow lamps lining the walls of the library. While they didn't illuminate _everything_ around him, they at least enabled him to establish how many potential pursuers he had. He permitted himself a second glance, a casual flit of his eyes in their general direction, and then began walking slowly out of the main gates.

Sure enough, they followed.

From his initial observations, he knew there were four of them. And from their appearances, Sasuke loosely assumed they were students from the University. He couldn't recognise them, as they had been sat on the bench a fair distance from the exit, and he'd been unable to make out their faces. The raven also had no idea why anyone would be interested in him in the first place. He hadn't done anything to make any serious enemies, if you excluded all the issues surrounding...

..._Naruto_?

Sasuke shook his head and frowned. There was no need to jump to conclusions right away. The first thing he had to do was determine for sure whether or not they _were_ indeed following him. It could have been a coincidence. They may have simply decided to get up the same time he'd walked out.

But Uchiha Sasuke was, to some extent, slightly paranoid. He'd been in similar situations before, and they hadn't always ended pleasantly. However, it also meant he had a certain level of experience with things like this. The way he saw it, it was always better to suspect, react, and apologise, than it was to wake up and find yourself in the back of some van, because you assumed the creepy old man walking behind you just happened to live on the same road as you, and _wasn't_ stalking you.

Subtlety was the key. The who's and why's would come later. At the moment, they didn't know he was onto them, and it was vital that it remained so; he would be able to keep an eye on them and make decisions along the way.

It only took him another ten seconds to devise a rough plan of action. Checking his watch once more, he picked up the pace and briskly walked off campus.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, and all four pursuers were trapped between a twelve foot brick wall and one dully amused Uchiha. A single streetlamp flooded light across the small area. They looked around, their expressions depicting total and utter confusion. How had that happened? Just a few seconds ago, they'd seen Sasuke duck around this very corner. They had swiftly followed, but come face to face with a dead end. And now, the raven was somehow magically behind them, standing quietly about five metres away.<p>

Before any of them could say a word, Sasuke spoke.

"I don't take too kindly to people following me around." He began coldly. "Start talking. Who are you?"

Sasuke was sure of it now. Three of them were underlings; all muscle, no brain. They towered well above six feet, but still looked down, almost fearfully, at the guy standing slightly apart from them. _Boss, this wasn't part of the plan_, their expressions seemed to say. His aura was different; calm, composed. Like his feathers had been ruffled unexpectedly, but he was still good to fly. Sasuke thought he recognised him from some of his labs.

"When did you realise we were behind you?" he asked now. The tone was deliberate, and had an authoritative air to it. As though he'd been commanding people all his life.

"I'm the one asking the questions here." Sasuke said, taking a step forward. He wished he sounded more confident than he felt.

He heard the apparent leader sigh once, before saying, "Very well, if you insist. I am Hyuuga Neji."

The name was familiar. Sasuke filed it away for now. He also noticed that the three gorillas were starting to fan out from behind. Not a good sign. He might have been able to handle Neji and perhaps one other guy, but four-on-one wasn't a good idea. He needed to get out of this fast.

"What do you want?" he asked, trying to buy time. "Why were you following me?"

"Come now, Uchiha," Neji replied warmly, folding his arms. "I simply wanted a little chat with you. No need to be so jumpy. You always run off after lectures and I can never seem to find you again."

"Little chat, my foot." Sasuke scoffed. "Who follows people around in the dark like this? And even then, why didn't you come alone? I'm not stupid. You've all been tailing me since I left the library. Everywhere I went - the convenience store, the bank, then the long route back through campus - you were there. You thought I didn't realise?"

"I'm impressed." Neji replied, raising one elegant eyebrow. He spoke as though he'd just eaten something appetising, the flavour still lingering in his mouth. "You knew from the beginning, and decided to lure us on a wild goose chase, in order to establish for sure if we were after you or not. Once you were satisfied, you led us here to nothing but a trap. Admirable, I have to say."

Sasuke didn't know how it happened. One minute, the guy had been standing far away. In a blink, a single heartbeat, he was _there_, almost nose to nose with the Uchiha. He was right in front of him, his deathly pale eyes visible in the darkness. Sasuke hadn't even had time to gasp.

"But the wrong move against _me_."

A sharp pain blossomed in his stomach, and Sasuke grabbed his midsection in agony. The twit had punched him, hard. He was winded, but tried to jump back and out of the other male's reach. _I've got to get out of here, now_, his mind screamed desperately. _Forget about interrogations. This is getting dangerous._

"Why did I follow you, you ask?" the Hyuuga drawled from somewhere. Sasuke was disorientated, and two of the brutes wasted no time in restraining his arms from behind. The third guy remained loyally by Neji's side. "Do you know what my father has been through thanks to your family's company?"

Sasuke coughed, trying to wriggle free. The hands held firmly against his shoulders. Neji punched him a second time and he yelled out loudly. His bag slithered uselessly to the floor.

"Do you have_ any idea_ what it feels like to watch him struggle?" A harsh slap to his face. "He almost committed suicide a few months ago. Would you care to hear why, oh noble, Uchiha _prince_?"

The last word had been accompanied by a solid kick to his knees, almost shattering them. Sasuke just wanted this to be over already. He felt himself slipping out of consciousness, trying to dull out the pain that seemed to be spreading everywhere in his body.

"Because _Fugaku-san_," Neji said bitterly. "Thought it would be incredibly appropriate to set up his new massive branch directly opposite my father's building. The Hyuugas have been in this business far longer than your family, Uchiha. How _dare_ you try to take over?"

Neji grabbed Sasuke by his hair, forcing his head up. He winced in pain, shutting his eyes.

"Ever since your father decided to enter this field," the Hyuuga hissed. "Our company has been steadily declining. No one is interested in buying from us anymore, now that _Uchiha Cosmetics_ exists. And this latest development has only made matters worse! What did we do to deserve this? You give me one good reason why our family should have to suffer just so yours can prosper!"

Sasuke didn't have the energy to say anything back. Instead, he gathered up the tiny shred of courage he had left and spat in Neji's face. The Uchiha saw white hot fury dance across those chilling eyes, before his attacker let out a terrifying snarl.

For the second time that night, things seemed to happen faster than Sasuke was able to comprehend.

He somehow had power over his arms again, and the two minions either side of him grunted loudly before collapsing onto the ground. Sasuke glanced up at Neji, whose eyes were scanning around the little alley. The third guy who had been beside the Hyuuga suddenly went limp, and fell down unconscious. As he went, Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw who had been standing behind.

Neji followed his gaze and spun around, one hand still firmly wedged in Sasuke's locks.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, trying to regain some control over the situation.

The assailant didn't reply, choosing to loudly crack his knuckles instead. Neji released his grip on Sasuke's hair, before adopting an unusual stance. The Hyuuga faced his threat head on and shouted, "Answer me! Who are you?"

"His fucking roommate, prick!"

* * *

><p>"You okay?" Naruto asked, approaching him.<p>

Sasuke was stunned. How was it possible for human beings to move so fast? He hadn't been able to keep up with Neji's movements earlier on, but this was something else entirely. One moment, Naruto had been caught in an elaborate stranglehold by the Hyuuga, but Sasuke didn't so much as blink before the blonde was striking the other boy with a fierce uppercut. He'd been motionless on the floor seconds later, joining the other three.

"How did...?" Sasuke began weakly. Then he swallowed. "Why are you here?"

"You're welcome, bastard." Naruto replied sarcastically, before picking up Sasuke's bag and throwing it over his shoulder. He cast a wary look around. "Let's go up. We shouldn't be here."

He took a step closer, and Sasuke saw a small cut on his chin, blood trickling down. The Uchiha didn't protest when Naruto hooked one of his arms around his neck, taking most of the weight off his injured legs. He felt a hand circle around his weight, and he winced in pain.

"Sorry." Naruto mumbled, pulling his hand away. "Guess you got hurt pretty bad, huh?"

Sasuke didn't say anything.

"Need me to carry you?"

"I'm fine." Sasuke replied quietly, turning away.

"We'll go slowly." The blonde said in a gentle voice. "It doesn't look like your legs are broken, but if you need to stop, just say."

With Naruto's help, Sasuke managed to hobble bit by bit towards their building. Ordinarily, it would have taken no more than five minutes from where they were, but the Uchiha couldn't put his full weight on either leg while walking. His head was pounding, and every tiny movement sent a fresh wave of intense pain to his abdomen. If Naruto hadn't shown up, there was no way he'd have been able to make the journey back without difficulty.

_If Naruto hadn't shown up, who _knows_ what might have happened to you_, said a small voice in his mind.

They didn't run into anyone else on the way. Almost fifteen minutes later, Naruto was pressing the button to summon the elevator. Neither said a word as it began the ascent to the fifth floor. The blonde fished out his keys and unlocked the front door, still supporting Sasuke without a problem.

"My room's a tip." Naruto said after a moment, letting the door shut behind them. "Where are your keys?"

"Side pocket."

Naruto let them in and helped lower Sasuke into a sitting position on his bed. The raven sighed in relief, before slipping off his shoes. He shut his eyes and rubbed at his temples. Naruto stood there, looking down at him in concern. He wondered briefly if he should leave the other boy alone.

"You're allowed to sit down, if you want to." Sasuke said finally.

"Ah, it's just..." The blonde looked around sheepishly. "Your room's so neat and tidy, I'm scared to even move."

"Don't be ridiculous."

Naruto turned the desk chair to face Sasuke and settled into it. An awkward silence descended on the room, each boy quietly wishing the other would speak first. At last, Sasuke looked up and met Naruto's questioning eyes.

"Thank you." He said simply. "You had absolutely no obligation to help me, especially when considering my behaviour towards you over these few weeks. I am in your debt."

The blonde raised his eyebrows slightly, and then chuckled. "Dude, what century are you from? You don't need to be so formal all the time."

"It's how I've been raised." Sasuke replied, a little defensively.

"Right, right." Naruto nodded once before turning serious. "Who were those guys?"

The Uchiha groaned slightly, shutting his eyes again. He really didn't want to talk about what had just happened. "I know it's not my place to ask you for any more favours right now, but...I haven't eaten anything since this afternoon."

"Oh," the blonde stood up right away. "What should I get? There should still be some stores open."

"No need. I made some lasagne yesterday, it's in the fridge. Just heat that up in the microwave. And there are painkillers in the little cupboard by the sink, if you would bring those too. Ah, and some ice would probably be a good idea."

Naruto stared at him in shock.

"_You_ can cook?"

"Why is that so surprising?" Sasuke frowned. "And please keep your voice down, my head is killing me."

Naruto gaped at him a moment longer, before muttering an embarrassed apology and heading towards the kitchen. Ten minutes later, he returned with the requested items on a tray, and set it down on the desk behind him. He offered a fork and the steaming plate of lasagne to Sasuke.

"Give me the pills first."

"Painkillers usually work better when you don't take them on an empty stomach." Naruto replied, still holding out the food. "You're also more likely to throw up if you take them now. Eat first."

Sasuke held his gaze for a moment longer, and then accepted the plate. He began to eat slowly, each mouthful more painful than the previous. But he couldn't deny that it felt wonderful to have something warm in his stomach after such an ordeal. He savoured the taste, chewing appreciatively. They were quiet for another moment, before he looked directly at the blonde.

"Why did you help me?" he asked.

Naruto blinked at him, and then shrugged. "It didn't exactly take a genius to figure out what was going on. They were obviously roughing you up for some reason. You were in trouble. Like I'd just ignore it and walk away. I'm not _that_ heartless."

"But how did you know where I was?" he pointed out. "I led them to an area I knew would be secluded. It's out of the way, and the odds of someone walking past it by chance are very slim."

"I just went out for a walk." The blonde replied. "I was kinda lost in my own thoughts, and somehow ended up on the other side of campus. Didn't really know where I was, to be honest. Then I thought I heard something going on, and decided to investigate. Didn't wanna be seen, so I climbed the wall to get a better view. Saw some guy beating the living crap out of this poor sod, and when I looked closer, I realised it was you. You know the rest."

Sasuke stopped chewing. "Wait, you climbed _that_ wall?"

"Yeah," Naruto grinned. "Almost lost my footing too, which woulda been lame."

The Uchiha marvelled at the other boy, sitting there smiling away like he hadn't a care in the world. How could someone be so happy after everything that had just taken place? Even now, Sasuke could feel tiny tremors of adrenaline coursing through his limbs. He thought back to how quickly Naruto had disposed of Neji and his three bodyguards, and ran his eyes over the blonde's body. That wall had been as smooth as a mirror, without any jutting edges, making it impossible to scale; yet another reason Sasuke had chosen the location. There should have been no escape for his pursuers.

"What are you?" he asked in an undertone.

"A human?" Naruto responded, puzzled by the question.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, ever so slightly.

"A Biochemistry student?" The blonde offered instead. "A Libra? What do you mean?"

"'_Infuriating'_ is the term you're looking for, I believe." Sasuke replied through clenched teeth. Then he noticed the dried gash on Naruto's chin. Feeling guilty, he quickly added, "At this moment in time, anyway. What I meant to ask was... how were you able to fight those guys singlehandedly? It all happened so fast."

"Blame my uncle." Naruto smiled again, wistfully this time. "Well, he's not actually my uncle, more like my godfather. Taught me how to defend myself against pretty much anything. He's... a little insane though."

Sasuke cocked his head to the side, curious. The empty plate now rested on his lap.

"I owe him a lot." The blonde explained, looking down at his hands. "Ever since my parents died, he's been raising me."

"I'm sorry," the raven said quietly. "I didn't know..."

"Don't be," Naruto replied, shaking his head. He turned and handed Sasuke a glass of water and two pills, which he accepted gratefully. "I was just a few months old when it happened, so I never really knew them. Car crash."

Sasuke looked down, unsure of what to say.

"Uncle J - that's what I call him, "Jiraiya" is way too long! - became my legal guardian when it happened." The blonde continued. He was beginning to open up. "He writes these weird novels in his spare time, but they must be good, since he's pretty loaded. I didn't have any other relatives, and there was no way he would let me be sent off to some orphanage. He spent every motherfucking evening since I was six putting me through all these crazy workout routines!"

"Why?" Sasuke asked, intrigued now. He took another sip of water.

"Fuck knows," Naruto sighed. "Says it never hurts to be prepared for the worst case scenario, whatever that might be. He's cool and everything, but goes a little overboard now and then. There was this one time when he threw me over the edge of a cliff."

"He did what?" the raven spluttered, starting to cough. "You're not being serious."

"I swear." the other boy replied, laughing slightly. "I panicked like crazy at first, but there were these branches hanging out from the cliff wall, and I managed to grab onto one of them. Scary as hell, but the climb back up wasn't too bad."

The Uchiha just sat there with his eyes wide.

"I've scared you, haven't I?" Naruto realised, scratching the back of his head. "I talk way too much, I'm sorry. Do you want me to leave?"

"No." Sasuke replied, almost immediately. It suddenly struck him how effortlessly the barrier between them was dissolving; weeks and weeks of mutual silence and unresolved problems, just wiped away. Naruto was thinking something similar.

"Hey," he said now. "I know stuff between us has been pretty shit so far, but... how about we just let it all go now? Start over?"

"I agree." Sasuke nodded, feeling relieved. _A few simple words was all it took_. "I'm sorry for overreacting when we first met, I don't know why it happened now that I think back on it. And I really am grateful for what you did today."

"Do you...wanna talk about it now?" Naruto asked carefully. He wrapped a few ice cubes in a cloth and handed them over.

The raven considered. He pressed the ice against his left knee and shivered slightly. "I suppose it's fair, since you've told me a lot about yourself."

* * *

><p>The blonde had been strangely silent when Sasuke mentioned it wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Since leaving school, both Uchiha brothers occasionally ran into some kind of trouble from jealous individuals, like Neji. When Naruto pressed, Sasuke assured him that it had never been as bad as tonight. Usually, it was just a bit of verbal abuse, or childish pranks. Nothing more serious. But it was the main motive behind the raven's careful nature, and the reason he didn't like to give away his name so easily.<p>

When Sasuke next glanced up at his clock, it was just after midnight. They'd spent nearly two whole hours in conversation, and the raven had no idea where the time had gone. He couldn't even recall exactly what they had been talking about. A lot of things...

It was almost surreal.

"Shit," Naruto frowned, standing up. "I've been here ages."

That heavy silence again. Sasuke shifted on the bed, his body stiff from sitting for so long. The pain had lessened considerably, but he could still feel it pulsating through his chest and legs. Naruto seemed to notice.

"Will you be alright getting changed yourself?" he asked, a little worried. "Can you stand?"

"I think so," the Uchiha replied, getting to his feet. Everything ached, but it was a vast, vast improvement from before. He stretched his arms, and lightly pressed his fingers against his torso and knees. "I'll manage." He said at last.

"Good." Naruto smiled. "And I'm _so_ glad everything's-"

A loud, musical ringtone cut off his words. Naruto pulled a phone out from his back pocket and glanced at the screen. After a brief moment, he rejected the call.

"Gaara." He said quietly.

"Who's Gaara?"

"Boyfriend." He said, pocketing the phone again. "_Really_ don't have the energy right now."

Another awkward silence.

"You're...gay." Sasuke said slowly. He immediately wished he hadn't said anything. Stupid, _stupid_.

"Yeah," Naruto met his eyes cautiously. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no!" the raven said quickly. "Of course it isn't, I was just a little surprised." _Sasuke, shut up. Just shut up._

"Why?" Naruto frowned.

"No reason." Sasuke replied, shaking his head. "Do you have anything tomorrow? Lectures?"

"One in the morning, I think..." he pulled out his phone again. "I should text Kiba, actually."

"_Why_ does he come here every morning, by the way?" Sasuke sighed. "Can't you get up on your own?"

"No, I can't." The blonde said seriously. "It sucks, I hate it, and I wish I could, but I'm the laziest guy you'll ever meet. The end."

"Congratulations."

"Shut up, bastard. One day I'll be running this place myself and there won't be a single class before noon. Mark my words."

"_You'll _be running Konoha University?" Sasuke snorted, and then began laughing. "God forbid anyone should leave you in charge of such an institution. It wouldn't last a week!"

"Dad did it!" Naruto exclaimed. "He was the Principal here before that Tsunade woman, or whatever her name is."

Sasuke stopped laughing when realised Naruto was serious.

"Really?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"That's why I'm here." The blonde said, determinedly. "Uncle J's looked after me my whole life, but I don't want it that way forever. When I told him I was aiming for Konoha, Sasuke, you should've _seen_ his face. I've never seen him cry, but he was _this_ close to tearing up. Said that mum and dad would've been so proud, and not to worry about tuition fees, or anything."

When he met Sasuke's gaze, those blue eyes seemed to sparkle.

"I really want to _teach_ here," he said, almost as if he were in pain. "I've always wanted to teach, but to do it here... it's been my dream ever since I was a kid. Everyone would have to respect me, and look up to me, and appreciate what I have to say. And I'd teach in a way that everyone would understand, and they'll actually _learn_ shit, not just blindly memorise it all. I hate people who do that.

"Sasuke, just give me five years, and I'll turn this place around. You think it's the best university right now, I'll make it ten times better. You know what dad wanted? He wanted students to graduate with more than just a name behind their degree. He wanted them to leave with an open mind, ready to question the world, and be able to think outside of what was coming up on the exam. A lot of people are here for the wrong reasons. You might not believe it, but I'm here because I love to learn. And because I have a dream, and this is where that dream starts."

Sasuke felt something stir inside him, something he couldn't name. A warm sense of admiration flooded through his entire body, temporarily numbing any pain. This individual standing before him was the complete and utter opposite of himself; he had his own ambitions, and set his own limits. Anything he was aiming towards, he had decided on by himself. No one had been there to tell him what he should do with his life. And from the way he spoke, the sheer passion behind those words, all at once, Sasuke believed everything. He actually _knew_ at that precise moment that Uzumaki Naruto wouldn't ever give up on this. He could hear it in his voice, see the conviction in his eyes.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt very small against the blonde, and almost insignificant. And it only made things worse when he realised how badly he'd misjudged him. He wanted to bury his head in the ground and never come out.

"Tell Kiba not to worry." He said, once he'd found his voice again. "I'll get you up in the morning."

"What? But you-"

"Shut up and text him. And tell him he needn't bother from now on."

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN: HOLY FUCK this turned out waaaaaay longer than I thought it would... O_O' right, I spent the entire weekend writing this motherlord of a chapter, and it had BETTER BE APPRECIATED!**

**I have (yet another) test in the morning, so I'm gonna cram for it now. One more week, one more week...**

**I am way more likely to update quicker if people review... please click that little button below. You know you want to :)**


	8. Feelings

**A/N: ****I... I don't know if any of you remember me, but here I am. FINALLY. **

**I can explain, but I won't do it here. **

**If any good has come out of my final year, it is that I have PLENTY of first hand writing material ready, fresh in my mind. So, throughout these chapters, I aim to SHOW you all what I've been through! Literally, it was mad... and any time I DID come across, I ended up using it for the other fic I'm in the middle of. For those of you who haven't, please feel free to check it out! I think it's coming along pretty nicely so far... it just stemmed from a small idea, and I had to get it out. But as a result, this one got put on hold.**

**But excuses aside, I apologise yet again for taking so long to update. I truly am sorry for making people wait EVER so long, but I'm more or less back now and out of the terrifying depths of exams and assignments for good! I can't promise an exact time for updates, but I will try my best. That's as honest of an answer as I can give.**

**Thank you to all those who have this story on alert, or who favourited. And those who left reviews. And of course, to every last reader I have :') I'm sorry again, but it was a necessary break I needed for myself. For those of you that pray, please remember me and ask that I've made it through this final hurdle and I'll be graduating this year!**

**ENOUGH ANECDOTES NOW. ITS GOOD TO BE BACK! :D**

**ONWARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD!**

* * *

><p>(<em>November, third year- Thursday morning<em>)

Sasuke indulged in a small smile as he posted (yet another) completed essay into his tutor's pigeon hole.

It was only Thursday, and the work wasn't due until the middle of next week, but the Uchiha liked to keep on top of things. Now, only one other assignment remained, and he decided to go to the library, and find some extra reading material. It's not like he had any other pressing things to do.

He walked down the corridor to the elevators, and noticed an academic waiting too, with a stack of reports in his arms. He smiled politely as Sasuke came closer. Moments later, a door opened behind them, and he heard a familiar, chilling voice.

"Ah, Tenzou-san. I was just on my way to see you. I assumed you would be in the staff room."

Sasuke didn't turn around, but the lecturer's head snapped up.

"Orochimaru-san." He nodded, respectfully. "Yes, I was just on my way. How may I be of assistance?"

A pause. Then, "Is something wrong?"

"Perhaps," Orochimaru began, dropping his words down to a whisper. "We should continue this conversation elsewhere? It is an important matter."

"Of course." The response was immediate. "I trust my office is suitable?"

"Yes. More than appropriate."

Yamato nodded again before moving away from the elevators and joining Orochimaru. Sasuke waited until the footsteps grew fainter, staying perfectly still until he heard a door close some distance away. The elevator arrived seconds later, empty and waiting for him. He considered a moment, then took a deep breath and headed down the corridor, after them instead.

* * *

><p>Yamato didn't like Orochimaru.<p>

Well, neither did the vast majority of academics in the department, or the entire university for that matter. There was just something about the man that made him impossible to pin down, impossible to predict. While the senior Head of Sciences was only in his early fifties, Orochimaru-san had a chilling, and unnerving way of speaking; as though he already knew everything about you, even if you'd never met. He would also never fail to make you feel as though you'd done something wrong; then he would somehow let you know, through a silent, unsettling stare, that he was already aware of _that_ too.

And it wasn't just the students who suffered. Even the other lecturers were wary around him, bowing their heads in respect whenever he glided in and out of the staff room. And if he was screwing at someone for not doing their job properly (or just screwing at someone for no reason at all), you just didn't get involved. No matter what. That is, unless you wanted your own job to be in danger too. The only person he'd ever been seen to take orders from was the Principal herself.

And reluctantly, at that.

"Please, have a seat Orochimaru-san." Yamato said, gesturing to one of the chairs opposite his desk, once he'd put the reports down. "Would you care for some coffee?"

"No, I'm fine. I don't anticipate being here very long." He replied a little stiffly.

"Of course," Yamato nodded, taking his own seat. He wondered if he should say something more, or wait for Orochimaru to speak first. His hands were resting on the desk, and he refrained from drumming his fingers nervously against the wood.

After a moment, the Head met Yamato's eyes.

"You are Uzumaki Naruto's personal tutor, am I correct?"

"Yes, indeed." _Best to keep things brief. _

"I am..." Orochimaru started, apparently struggling for the right word. "_Concerned_, shall we say. I have had a number of complaints this semester. Four members of staff, actually. They have specifically mentioned him by name to me."

He paused, as though inviting Yamato to add to the story, and fill in the blanks for himself. Instead, the tutor kept quiet, aware of his boss' tactics. When he didn't speak, Orochimaru continued. "It appears the boy has little respect for the institution. He essentially dismisses the unspoken rules that every other student seems able to adhere to. You would think a final year would understand what is expected of him by now."

Yamato wasn't surprised, but politely nodded his head. Orochimaru was still looking at him expectantly.

"Uzumaki-san does have..." Yamato sighed, at last. "Issues with punctuality. The days our tutorials run in the morning, he is almost always late, or doesn't turn up at all."

"Yes," the Head nodded, smiling slightly. "The staff members who have him in their lectures also complain of similar problems. Unacceptable, wouldn't you agree?"

Yamato fought the urge to swallow. "It's not as though he misses them deliberately. And besides, his grades are outstanding. He's been in the top five percent overall for the last two years."

"Yes." He said again. The smile turned unpleasant, stretching his withered lips. "It is one of the few things keeping him here, for want of a better way to put it. And of course, his tuition fees."

"He is unorganised, and at times, very displaced," Yamato frowned, gathering some courage. "He never takes notes in class, and at first, I was sceptical. There were many occasions I kept him behind and gave him extra work to do as punishment."

Against his will, Yamato smiled, meeting Orochimaru's eyes. "But over the few years since he enrolled, I've come to realise that he has his own way of doing things. If that method were imitated by another, fully capable student, we would not see the same effects. In that sense, Naruto is a rare exception. The boy is driven by something... very great. He has a genuine love for his subject, and it seems as though this is the only driving force he needs to excel." He couldn't stamp out the feeling of warm pride flooding through his chest. "I honestly feel as though we may have a genius graduating this summer."

"A _genius_?" Orochimaru hissed suddenly, causing the other man to flinch. "_Ridiculous_."

Yamato fell silent, and looked down at his desk.

"I had the honour of overseeing _Naruto's_ lab session a few weeks earlier." Orochimaru continued, as though the name left a foul taste in his mouth. "Half an hour into the practical... and the boy was asleep! _Sleeping_!"

The tutor suppressed a chuckle. _Typical Naruto_.

"I have seen many things in my time here, Tenzou-san," Orochimaru all but growled. "But never have I come across such... _attitude_. Such... disregard. That boy has no right to act so disruptively during lectures, or treat his entire course as a joke. This was an assessed practical, and he failed to take it seriously. Not to mention all the health and safety risks associated with carelessness in the lab."

A strange glint had entered the Head's eyes. "I simply cannot understand how he is able to proceed through the years with such behaviour. It's outrageous! And there is that age-old correlation between lecture attendance and academic performance; from the way this boy acts, he may as well not even _be_ in the lecture in the first place."

He coughed slightly, and then continued. "And yet, he performs outstandingly well in every last one of his assignments, and has the highest exam scores. He knows all about the task requirements, details of the deadlines, without being there to hear them in the first place. Something doesn't add up here..."

"With all due respect sir," Yamato tried again. "I understand entirely where you're coming from-"

"Do you, _Tenzou Yamato_?" Orochimaru interrupted with a deadly whisper. "Are you then prepared to tell me how he is managing to cheat right under our very noses?"

"_Cheat_?" Yamato spluttered before he could stop himself. "Sir, I can assure you, Naruto may be many things, but he is not dishonest. He would never cheat his way through his work. I absolutely guarantee it."

"You seem sure of yourself." That smile again. "And despite such outright insolence on the boy's part, his tutor has not a single bad word to say about him."

He hadn't said anything specifically, but there it was. A hollow threat, almost like a challenge... laced with dark suspicion. A sure-fire way letting Yamato know that Orochimaru was going to be watching him very closely from now on.

"Yamato-san..." he continued, looking down at his fingernails. "Kakashi-san and yourself teach the third years 'Metabolic Disorders', correct?"

"Yes," Yamato replied after a moment.

"And Naruto is on that module, is he not?"

"He is."

"I see."

The silence that stretched could have lasted an eternity. Finally, Orochimaru stood up and peered down at Yamato.

"This institution has housed many great minds over the centuries." He said quietly. "And every year, hundreds of the very finest, hand-picked students leave here and go on to excel in whatever field they wish. But they carry a name with them, and that name comes with a level of responsibility, and great expectation. And not just where academic excellence is concerned. There is much more to it than that, as I am sure you are aware of."

He leaned lower, spreading his hands across the desk. "I don't know by what magical technique that boy was even able to get a place here. He should never have been allowed in if he was going to behave like this. But if that irresponsible, lousy, pathetic excuse for a Konoha student graduates the way he is now, what impression would that leave on all who come across him? Someone who cannot make deadlines, or stay awake in important meetings? Someone who does not know his place, and addresses everyone around him in that... annoyingly informal way that he does? Konoha's reputation will decline."

"He is one student." Yamato muttered through clenched jaws.

"He is the first and the last." Orochimaru snapped. "If we are to tolerate one bad student, we may as well tolerate fifty. As much as I hate to admit it, no doubt with his grades, the boy will go far. He may end up meeting some highly influential people as he moves on, and their own opinions of both himself and Konoha will be tainted as a result.

"We have a standard to uphold, and not only where academic performance is concerned." He continued, turning to the door. "Either the boy changes his outlook and starts treating this place with some more respect..."

The Head gave Yamato a side-long glace. "Or we change _our_ outlook of how we grade assignments and exams. Do you follow, Yamato-san?"

"I do, Orochimaru-san." He replied with a sigh. "I do."

* * *

><p>Sasuke scanned his ID and walked through the library barriers.<p>

His mind was buzzing as he ran his eyes across the ground floor, searching for an empty space. It was only just after nine thirty, but students had already occupied a lot of the computer terminals. It didn't matter. He'd stopped by the apartment to pick up his laptop on the way. Just as he walking towards the stairs to the first floor, a familiar patch of blonde hair caught his eyes.

"Naruto!" he called, surprised.

He didn't turn around, and Sasuke walked over. Naruto was sat at a computer with his back to him, absorbed in whatever he was typing. Sasuke could hear the faint, steady beat of music coming from his earphones, even over the hum of everyone else on the ground floor.

He stood there a moment, just quietly watching.

Naruto's hair was still slightly damp from the shower this morning. And it was getting a little longer too, just trailing down and resting on the neck of his white tee. He could see the outline of his rounded shoulders beneath the material, shifting every now and then as he moved. Where the sleeves ended, the tanned arms began. Toned, but not overly-muscular, and sparsely scattered with a few strands of pale hair. Naruto never wore a watch. Or any jewellery for that matter, except for a certain jade necklace, which never left his person.

Sasuke wondered why he was noticing all these little things. Well, he knew _why_. Of course he knew why. But it still didn't make much sense.

Other people sat in the library, wearing white t-shirts. Other people bobbed their heads and tapped their feet when they were listening to music. Other people breathed, and stretched, and moved. Other people did all those things, and although Sasuke was analytical by nature... he was never _fascinated_ by these little details. They were as ordinary as the floor, or the lights, or the windows. Accepted. The norm. Never questioned, or commented upon. Never actually noticed, or appreciated.

Sasuke reached out with a finger, and gently hooked it around one of the wires leading up to Naruto's left ear, making sure to brush against his jaw as he went. Naruto turned his head suddenly as the earphone fell out.

"Sasuke!" he gasped.

"Why the _hell_ aren't you in lecture, idiot?" Sasuke frowned, putting his bag down on the table beside Naruto. "After all the trouble I went through getting you up, and you decide not to turn up anyway."

"Sasuke, don't bitch." He muttered back. "Now's not the best time."

"Why, what's happened?" he pulled another chair closer and sat down, looking at what Naruto had been typing. "What's this?"

"Apparently there was a _fucking_ essay due in today that I had no idea about." Naruto sighed, sitting back in his chair. He threw his earphones down beside the keyboard. "And it's assessed. And it's due in at twelve. And it's not just on lectures, but other _fucking_ reading material. Which means it needs to be fucking _referenced_ according to _the fucking Harvard system_!"

Sasuke had given up trying to get Naruto to tone down the swearing. "How long does it have to be?"

"Dunno, but Kiba's is exactly 3,000 words." He rubbed his eyes. "It's too bloody early in the morning for this shit, man."

"Calm down," Sasuke replied, shifting closer and reading over what he'd written so far. "Oh, this stuff. I had a lecture last week on TMAU. It's all the flavin monooxygenase metabolism cycles, right?"

"But it's not the disease itself that he wants." Naruto pressed. "I could talk for hours about all that. It's more on how they were able to find it, and figure out what molecular techniques were used to identify the genetic mutations, and all that shit."

"Ah, right." Sasuke fired up his laptop. "I think I might have something on that too."

"Sasuke..." Naruto murmured. "Can I do this in three hours?" He checked his phone. "_Less_ than three hours? If it was just on lectures, I could have the whole thing done in an hour, but I need to put in additional details. And I don't just wanna use all the extra references that Kiba did, 'cause that's too obvious. Kakashi's already got his eye on me after this morning."

"Shut up for a moment." Sasuke replied considering. "Look, how about you just focus on getting the knowledge out and typed up, and don't worry about outside reading or word limits. I can cut that down for you at the end. And I'll see if we can incorporate some of these papers into it. I'm sure I read something related to all this a few days ago... And I'll get the referencing part done myself, and you can just paste it in at the end, because we all know how much you _love _referencing."

Naruto managed a smile at that. "I get why it's important, but let's say you wrote a paper. What's wrong with writing '_A paper on cheese, by Uchiha Sasuke: Written in 2004'_? Why does it matter where all those stupid full stops and commas are? I'd lose marks if I didn't write it like '_Uchiha, S., (2004)_. _A brief and boring history on all aspects of cheese.'_ And then... all the crap that comes after it. I mean, like... what is the fucking _point_? Who _cares_? I'd still be able to find it again after if I wanted to..."

"There are so many things wrong with what you just said." Sasuke said, shaking his head. "But I'll go with why on _earth _am I writing a paper on cheese? Of all things?"

"I want pizza for lunch." Naruto grinned. "I'm craving cheese."

"You're an idiot."

"Your face is an idiot."

"...You really don't think before you speak, do you? How can my face have a personality? And even if it did, it wouldn't be anything like yours."

"At least my face wouldn't act like a total prick!"

"We're wasting time, Naruto!" Sasuke snapped, turning to him. "Do you want to get this done or not? Shut up and do what I said."

"Sasuke, you don't need to help me with this." Naruto replied, seriously. "You have your own work to do, right? I don't wanna slow you down with this. It's my own fault anyway."

"Isn't it always your fault?" he smirked back.

"Oi." Naruto punched him playfully.

"It's fine, Naruto." Sasuke said, turning back to his laptop and opening up different folders. "I've only got one thing to do, and that's due two weeks from now. Besides," he added quietly. "It's not like I'd just leave you here now. You know that."

"I know," Naruto replied, letting his head fall onto Sasuke's shoulder. "I dunno what I'd do without you sometimes, Sasuke. You're a fucking lifesaver. Seriously."

A few seconds passed where Sasuke said nothing.

"I love you, Sasuke."

"...Get typing."

Naruto chuckled slightly, and Sasuke felt the movements travel through his own body. But then after a moment, his head was gone, and facing back to the computer screen. Sasuke's shoulder suddenly felt ten degrees colder.

* * *

><p>The Uchiha had considered telling Naruto about the conversation he'd overheard between Orochimaru and Yamato, but decided it could wait. He was already stressed enough as things were. He'd tell him tonight, he decided. Then he scrolled through various databases searching for anything relevant that could be of use.<p>

For the next hour and a half, the two worked on their respective tasks. Sometimes, Naruto would pause and ask Sasuke for help with re-phrasing something, or editing out paragraphs that were too wordy. Once he'd grasped a fundamental concept, it was easy for Naruto to explain it briefly to Sasuke, who would then translate it all into essay-style lingo, and throw in a reference or two for extra style.

There was no way Naruto could have produced an essay of this quality in such a short time alone.

The knowledge was all up there, or at least very easy to digest once obtained. But he lacked the ability to put it all together the way his lecturers wanted it, which is where Sasuke came in. The Uchiha worked a little differently, preferring to hammer information repeatedly into his mind through hard work, and diligence (much like Lee). But despite their differences, they'd grown accustomed to each other. And on occasions like this, their teamwork was unmatched; they each had their own strengths, and certain aspects that they were good at. And when combined, the overall workload decreased dramatically.

And all the while, Sasuke was very aware of how close they were sitting.

He couldn't remember how it had all begun. It wasn't as though he'd woken up one morning and realised that whenever Naruto would walk into the room, he'd be surrounded by golden sparkles, and melodious music would be playing from somewhere. Whenever he stopped to think about it (and thinking about this was something Sasuke did fairly often), he'd come to the conclusion that it had been a gradual, steady descent.

He knew there had been a time when he'd loathed Naruto. There still were times they didn't get along, of course. But... deep down, Sasuke was wishing his time at Konoha wasn't ending this year. He knew they'd still be in contact afterwards. That much was certain. They'd been through too much together to just simply lose touch. But right now, they were essentially _living_ together. This time next year, it'd all be completely different. Everything would change.

Since that day Naruto had dealt with Neji over two years ago, Sasuke had learnt much about the other boy. He knew his fears, dreams, favourite foods, sleeping and eating habits, ways of speaking... he could fill a book with how much he knew about him. Down to the most meaningless details like, how many sugars he had in his coffee, or what style of socks he preferred. And he knew everything about Gaara, and all the things Naruto had been through with him.

Whenever Gaara's name was mentioned, or whenever he came round too see Naruto, there was a bubbling pot of rage simmering away in the back of Sasuke's mind; it was when he became aware of this that he realised for himself what was going on, and what he might be feeling. Well, Kiba didn't exactly think the world of Gaara either, but Sasuke knew that Kiba didn't have any deeper feelings for the boy. Sasuke knew that none of this was physically _hurting_ Kiba, the way it hurt him.

It was the face Naruto made whenever he was speaking to Gaara. The way his eyes would shine a little brighter whenever he was in the room. Or the tone of voice he'd use when speaking on the phone to him. Little things. These subtle little differences Sasuke would notice like they were fucking skyscrapers.

And how he'd wish for days on end that Naruto would look at _him_ like that. Or speak to _him _like that. Hold _his_ hand, instead of that... _monster's_.

Everyone knew Gaara was unstable. Even Naruto. But the blonde was desperately trying to get him out of that place, and give him something to hold onto, something to love. And whatever Naruto might have been getting out of it in return, Sasuke knew more than anything that he didn't deserve all the drama that came with being in a relationship with that guy. He thought constantly about all that Naruto had told him, turning it over and over in his mind til it drove him insane.

He knew, if given half the chance, he would never even dream of treating Naruto like that.

As the months went on, Sasuke knew that this wasn't just something physical. He'd never been attracted to another male in his life; the idea hadn't even crossed his mind. He'd never once suspected that he might be interested in someone of the same sex, until Naruto had come along. There had been girls, one or two. But he'd never taken anything further or been in a relationship with anyone. One, he didn't feel as though he was missing out on an awful lot. And two, he'd never had the time; silent pressures from his family rained down over him almost constantly, urging him to put absolutely everything into his studies.

Naruto was different. There was nothing he did that he didn't want to. And although Sasuke may have found such an attitude somewhat arrogant at first, that all changed as he slowly came to understand exactly what it was that Naruto was aiming for. In a sense, they were both racing behind their father's shadows, seeking out their footsteps. But therein lay the difference- Sasuke was doing so because he had no other choice. Naruto was doing so because he _wanted_ to.

Uzumaki Naruto was everything Uchiha Sasuke wasn't. His entire being, down to the very last strand of hair was the complete and utter opposite to that of his roommate. His smiles, his habits, the way he held himself when he walked. The way he'd screw up those blue, blue eyes when he was thinking about something hard, trying to understand it. How he'd lie there so utterly defenceless and innocent when asleep. And then how he'd be screaming and yelling at someone ten minutes later, shouting out his dreams to whoever dared to lend an ear.

Whenever Sasuke would look at Naruto, he would see something entirely different. Something deep down, he longed to have, but knew he would never even be able to touch. But... if he could somehow, even in the smallest way, help this boy to reach his dreams, then that'd be something. That 'something' is what fuelled him every morning he had to wake Naruto up on time, or help him with tasks like the one they were working on now. That something was the reason he would do anything to make sure that Naruto made it to where he wanted to be.

And that something was the reason why Sasuke loved Naruto more than he'd ever loved anyone.

Though of course, he'd never tell him that.

Either way, judging from Orochimaru's conversation this morning, it was looking like they'd both have to be a lot more careful from now on. 'Ambitious' wasn't the word. This was just downright near impossible, but something inside Sasuke wanted to see it done.

Whatever Naruto couldn't or wouldn't do, Sasuke would handle for him. Partly because he knew, if guided in the right direction, Naruto could actually make Konoha into an even more noble University than it already was. The Uchiha had never heard anything as clearly as the sheer resolve he'd heard in Naruto's voice that night two years ago. All that he needed was a guiding hand to get him through any hurdles along the way. The rest, he could take care of himself.

And partly because he knew how happy Naruto would be at the end of it all.

And for Sasuke, that was good enough.

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN: I'm sorry again everyone :( but I hope this makes up for it. I'll have the next one typed up as soon as I'm able to ^.^**

**Thank you all again so so much :D its really good to be back.**

**And, as always, I'd be really happy if you could let me know what you thought :)**

**TA**


	9. Approaching Shadows

**11/11/12**

**A/N****: Hello everyone!**

**Another ridiculously late update, I know. I've realised that there is literally zero point of me attempting to find a regular time period to have chapters up by. I wish I could, because I really enjoy writing this, and every time I do find time to get some of the plot written out, it's very brief and doesn't happen very often...**

**And so, it is with much regret and a heavy heart that I say this: I will not be continuing either of my fanfics.**

**Kidding.**

**Of course they're not going to be left alone, no way. I know it might have seemed like that, because it's been such a long time, but no lol. Also, incase there are people out there hoping for weekly, fortnightly, monthly or whatever updates, please don't. Regretfully, I don't have a guaranteed time for when I update. 90% of the time, I am preoccupied with other commitments, and this has (much to my dismay) had to take a backseat. I'm really really sorry, truly :(**

**Nevertheless, I am super duper so tearfully grateful to those of you who have (and will, hopefully continue to do so) been so amazingly patient and stuck with this story. It feels like so long ago that I began writing, and all the support and reviews and alerts have done nothing but encourage me in ways I'll never be able to say ^_^**

**Again, I'm sorry that I can't keep writing and updating as much as I'd like to. But please, I hope that whenever I **_**do**_**, it is still well-received.**

**And I also hope that neither of my stories are affected by this crazy purge I've been hearing about... *fingers crossed* **

**Right, all the important things that need to be said, have been said xD**

**ON. WE. GOOOO!**

* * *

><p>"Sasuke," Naruto muttered. "3,011. Eleven words, eleven <em>bloody<em> words."

"It's fine," Sasuke assured him, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Rather than... "_These techniques are clearly able to show_", how about "_Such techniques clearly indicate_"? It's four words less, which leaves seven..."

"Your majesty," Naruto tried again. "We're fine now. Seriously. There's a 5% under/over limit, which means..." he trailed off, calculating. "They won't shoot me if I'm 150 words over... or 150 under. _Finito_. We're done here, stop being extra."

"No, idiot." He replied, a little sternly. "Just give me two more minutes, and I'll have it at exactly 3,000."

"But there's no need!"

"Naruto, leave me be!"

"Fucking perfectionist!"

"Obnoxious twit!" Sasuke hissed back, still clicking away. "Now shut up, I'm trying to focus here! This is _your _work, last time I checked."

"Which is _whyyyyy_," the other boy whined. "I'm telling you. Uchiha. Sasuke. That. I. Am. More. Than. Fucking. Happy-"

"Done." Sasuke smiled, sitting back in his chair. "3,000. Get to the printers. Do you need a cover sheet?"

"Shit, yeah." Naruto replied, standing up. "I forgot about that."

"How could you forget?" He marvelled, sending the printer this second job. "After three years here, handing in assignments, you should know the drill by now. The rules haven't changed. We always attach one of these things to the front of any work. It won't get marked otherwise."

"I was testing you." Naruto winked.

Sasuke ignored the swooping sensation assaulting his gut.

"Just one copy to hand in this afternoon?" He asked instead.

"Yes." Naruto nodded. "Wait, no. No..."

"Yes or no, dobe?"

"One printed." He said firmly. "And one electronic copy's gotta be emailed to Kakashi-san."

"Still testing me?" Sasuke drawled, narrowing his eyes up at the blonde.

"Oh, is that the printer I hear?" he said cheerfully. "I'll be right back!"

Sasuke shook his head as he watched Naruto practically skip down towards the printing area. He knew he was being overly-cautious with the word limit, but after overhearing Orochimaru this morning, he wasn't leaving anything up to chance. From the way things were looking now, the Head was ready to pounce at Naruto for the littlest thing.

His roommate was (for once) actually right; there was nothing wrong with going ever so slightly over the word limit. But wherever _Naruto_ was concerned... Sasuke didn't feel at ease. And not just because of Orochimaru. Anything below his absolute best effort, anything less than complete perfection was just not an option when it came to the other boy. He'd spent his entire life playing the perfect son for his parents, out of duty. He would do gladly and willingly offer the same level of attention for the person he cared the most for.

Sighing, he logged into Naruto's college email account. He cast a final glance over the finished essay and began composing an email to Kakashi, the module organiser.

"Hey, what?!" Naruto spluttered, appearing behind him with the printed sheets. "Is that- that's _my_ account!"

"Indeed it is." Sasuke replied, dully.

"How did you get in? I don't remember giving you my password."

"You didn't."

"Then...?"

"Has your uncle taught you nothing, pea-brain?" he frowned, attaching the essay to the email. "Not only do you carelessly type in your password -_ and _PIN, might I add! - for everyone to see, but you don't even bother changing it every now and then. You've had the same email password since you started University."

"Liar." Naruto scoffed. "You're just lecturing me again, like always. I bet you don't even _know_ my password. Or my PIN."

"Ramen19, with a capital R." Sasuke replied, raising an eyebrow.

Naruto's face fell.

"And as for your PIN," Sasuke reached up to grab onto the other boy's collar, and pulled him close before whispering something in his ear.

"Shit." Naruto gulped, straightening up again. "Are you _always _watching me? You creep."

"Don't try and twist this." the reply was sharp. "If _I_ can get all this information from you, what's stopping a professional thief? Someone who is actually trying to rob you, or steal your identity?"

"You're as paranoid as they come, Uchiha." The blonde smiled, tossing his essay onto the desk. "I don't need to worry at all; no one out there would make a better professional thief than your lovely prissy self. Uchiha Sasuke: your own personal nagging, whining self-centred asshole. "

"You're welcome." Sasuke checked his watch. "Forty-five minutes until your next lecture. What now?"

"I'll find Kiba." Naruto said, pulling out his phone from a pocket. "I need to give his memory stick back."

He turned back to the computer terminal, and stiffened.

"It's here." Sasuke said softly, holding the white flash drive up in front of him.

Naruto snatched it back without another word. As he hit the call button, he tried not to pay any attention to the triumphant, all-knowing grin plastered across his roommate's face.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later and the two found themselves at <em>Roast<em>, one of the campus coffee shops, with Kiba, Hinata and Shino. This was one of their usual spots to hang out, and had been since they all met in first year. Right now, the queue was threatening to trickle out of the front door, and it was hard to make out what anyone was saying over the warm buzz of chattering students.

"What did I miss?" Naruto asked, joining the others at a tiny square table. The place was packed, and the five friends sat close to each other, their knees bumping.

"Not much," Kiba replied, making space on the table for Naruto's coffee. "He's started on Diabetes now."

"Piss," Naruto smiled, setting his bag down. "We did a bit of that last year. Nothing I can't read up on."

"We did?" Kiba said, confused.

"Yes, Kiba-kun." Hinata replied earnestly. "Don't you remember? With Kurenai-san."

"Mmmm...nope." he shook his head, the shaggy mane of brown hair peeking from under his hood. "I hardly remember what I learnt last _week_, let alone last year."

"You must be so proud." Sasuke said, nodding at Kiba.

"Shut it, Uchiha!" barked Kiba, kicking him under the table. "It's so much harder to keep up with lectures when you've got a fucking project to do as well."

"I manage." The raven replied, taking a sip of his own coffee.

"Yeah, well... we're not all as perfect as your royal self now, are we?" Kiba muttered, folding his arms. "You try having that bitch Anko as your supervisor. I mean, sure, she's hot, but... you do one tiny little thing wrong and it's like, she'll scream at you!"

Towards the end of their second year, Science students at Konoha had to make a decision about what their final year was going to consist of; they had two fewer modules - of course, resulting in less lectures, and therefore less exams - but still needed another option to ensure they gained the full number of credits for their final degree.

The first option was a research project, where the student would spend at least seven weeks in a laboratory or field environment, performing experiments and collecting data, just like a real scientist carrying out his or her own research. Naturally, this meant a hefty 15,000 word report was due in before their exams began in May. As a result, this option was reserved for either the very high-achieving students, or those that were looking to work in a lab setting in the future. Someone like Sasuke, for instance, had both reasons checked in.

Last Spring, they had all been emailed a list of the members of staff who would be taking on project students, and the actual subjects of interest. Naturally, some places were more competitive than others for different reasons; some lecturers were offering projects based around cutting-edge scientific topics, like cancer research or nanotechnology, and competition for such places were fierce. On the flipside, Kiba (and the other male students also under Anko's supervision) had little interest in photosynthetic pigments, and much more interest in their supervisor's long, slender legs.

"But Kiba-kun," Hinata said, looking at him. "Anko-san will help you if you genuinely go to speak with her about something."

"I know," Kiba sighed. "But the thing is... whenever she starts talking, I kinda lose focus. She always sits so close, it's hard to pay attention to what she's saying."

"Kiba, you nutsack." Naruto grinned. "I can't believe you picked Anko purely 'cause you like her. She's not gonna write your report for you!"

"You never know..." Kiba replied, flashing a feral smile back. "There's still half a year left. I'm sure I can bring her around, if ya know what I'm saying."

"She's a _teacher_, you mutt." Naruto pointed out.

"She's only 29, you know that?!" Kiba insisted. "And at least she looks better than your supervisor."

"Oh, donnnnn't mention _anything_ about that guy, please!" Naruto whined, resting his head flat on the table in dismay. "Every fucking time I think about his stupid face and voice, just aaaaaarggghhh! He makes the whole topic seem so long and dull, and it really isn't!"

"Ebisu, right?" Kiba winced at the name. "Naruto, why would you? Even in lectures, the guy just reads off the freakin' slide. He puts me to sleep even on the best days."

The others nodded in agreement.

"He's working on this drug," Naruto replied, raising his head. "There's a chance it inhibits the growth of stomach cancer cells, and I actually think he might be onto something. But he makes me do all these unnecessary things, when I know I can do the _exact _same thing in like, a quarter of the time. And even when I suggest something, he starts going on and on, and refuses to budge! Stubborn git."

"If it captures your interest, then I suppose that is what should be the most important factor." Hinata said, smiling at him. "Right, Shino-kun?"

Shino inclined his head without saying a word.

"Who's your supervisor, Uchiha?" Kiba asked.

A pause, then, "Orochimaru."

"The Head?" Kiba frowned. "I thought he wasn't offering projects out to students."

"He wasn't." Sasuke replied, draining his cup. "I approached him because he was working on something that could potentially be of use to my father's company."

"And what's that, then?" Kiba said, drawing closer. Sasuke noticed how the others did the same.

"There isn't much point in discussing it now." The Uchiha said flatly. "It's still undergoing major testing, and there are lots of issues that need to be addressed before anything else."

"Yeah but," Kiba tried again, disappointed with the other boy's response. "What's he actually working on? No one ever sees him, and his lab is off-limits to students. He's even got blinds on the doors and windows."

"And there's a good reason for that." Sasuke replied, leaning back in his chair. "He doesn't need everyone unnecessarily sticking their noses in where it doesn't belong."

The others understood his point, and were trying to distract themselves. Hinata excused herself and headed for the bathroom, and Shino pulled out his phone. Only Kiba didn't seem to back down.

"I get the hint, princess." he said through clenched teeth. "It's not like we're gonna tell everyone, or publish the results off and gain all the glory. Why's he even letting you work there in the first place, if it's such a massive secret?"

"Who knows, Kiba?" Sasuke smiled, not giving anything away.

"Oh fuck no," Kiba cried, exasperated. He shut his eyes in mock disgust. "Please tell me you're not sleeping with the guy!"

"Kiba, enough man!" Naruto said, cutting him off. "It's nothing major, just let it go."

The second option was centred on scientific literature and communication. It was a good one to choose if you were hoping to go into journalism, or media. Or simply because you didn't fancy the idea of seven weeks in a lab with a moody lecturer watching your every move, as you used up their precious resources. And instead of a massive report, you had the choice of producing a website, a poster, or a magazine-style article on a topic of your choice.

Naruto, Sasuke and many of the people they knew had opted for the research project, but both options were just as popular as each other for different reasons. But more than anything, it meant every final year student was preoccupied with something or other relating to their option, and rarely had the time or energy to spend on other commitments, or early revision. Even Sasuke, who was always on top of things, had noticed the sudden shift in priorities, especially with Orochimaru as his supervisor.

"Your lecture starts in ten minutes." Sasuke said, standing up. Hinata had returned from the bathroom, and also stood beside them. "You should get going."

"Where're you gonna be?" Naruto asked, shouldering his bag. "Library?"

"I'll be around." He replied instead, heading for the door. "Call me when you're headed for lunch."

"Ah, speaking of lunch!" Kiba smiled, clapping Naruto on the shoulder. "That new noodle place just opened up and they're doing offers, just for today!"

"B-b-b-but!" Naruto scrunched up his eyes, breaking free of Kiba's hold. "I want pizza!"

"Screw pizza!" Kiba yelled. "This is an opportunity, Uzumaki!"

Sasuke heard their voices slowly fade into the background. He held a hand up, waving to the group still behind him, and headed out of _Roast_ towards the campus gates.

* * *

><p>Hatake Kakashi hated paperwork.<p>

And he hated the ridiculous briefcase he was currently carrying even more; probably because it _contained_ the paperwork he hated so much inside its murky depths.

More than anything else, it just simply wasn't him. It wasn't supposed to be there, by his side. A stiff, unwelcome attachment in his hand, heavy and awkward-feeling. It belonged at the bottom of a lake somewhere.

Along with the suit and stupid tie he was wearing.

The elevator's robotic drone announced they had arrived on the third floor. Would it be so much to ask for a sexy female voice warning him that the doors were about to close? Kakashi smirked dryly to himself; why was every little thing pissing him off recently?

He mentally shook himself back to reality as he stepped out, heading towards the staff room. It wasn't that he didn't like working here. He knew he was in a privileged position, and that other academics all over the world would give their left testicle to be a part of Konoha's teaching staff. Not to mention the tidy sum arriving in his account every month. And the cafeteria staff belonged to the same company who trained chefs for five star restaurants around the world.

No, everything on the surface was more than fine. It was all the crap that took place behind the dazzling headlines on educational reviews, and the glossy photos of the university brochures. Issues that you wouldn't know about, unless you worked there.

Like how things were _managed_. How members of staff were managed. And the sheer level of administrative tasks they were forced to complete every week. He almost felt like a student himself at times, struggling to balance lecture planning, his own research and inputting hundreds of names and grades into growing databases.

Every fortnight, each academic was individually interviewed by the Head of department and made to provide detailed statistics on how much of the topic they had covered, how many assessments they had carried out, explanations as why student X was _still_ failing, and what they, as responsible teachers, were planning to do about it... it was never-ending. Kakashi had never witnessed such scrutiny in his entire life.

And ever since Orochimaru had climbed into his current position, there were even demands on how members of the Science department should _look_. Semi-smart shirts were no longer acceptable; even on the hottest of days, male members had to wear a suit and tie. And the suit _had_ to be either black or grey. They couldn't carry normal shoulder bags, or satchels - only briefcases. Even women were forced to adhere to certain dress codes; the only source of colour could be their shirt or blouse. Their shoes could only have heels within a certain height range. No jewellery outside of a watch. Minimal make-up. Hair tied back.

Etcetera.

Etcetera.

_Etcetera_.

It was turning into a fucking dictatorship. None of the other departments had such strict rules on appearance. Of course, the academics shouldn't turn up to work looking like students or street workers, but this was just too much.

Though anyone that dared kick up a fuss about it was swiftly and sharply dealt with by the controlling Head himself.

In three (very, _very_ long) years, Orochimaru had successfully created a department where the members were driven by irrational fear; and it took everything they had to maintain a positive attitude towards their work when they were constantly under so much pressure.

Kakashi knew he wasn't the only one seriously in danger of losing his easy-going personality. He'd already been screwed at badly for turning up late to his own lectures.

_Obviously, for good reasons, _he assured himself.

He sighed, finally reaching the doors to the staff room.

"Kakashi-san!" he heard someone cry, barely as his foot made it across the threshold. He looked up, and smiled.

"Tenzou-kun." He said, beaming. "Why so tense?"

Yamato was standing by one of the tables, palms resting on top of a large stack of folders. He looked like he'd just been told that he had a surprise dinner date with an alligator.

"What's the meaning of this?" he cried again, slamming his hands on the pile of folders. A few other members of staff were casually observing from across the room. "I walk in, and see this huge tower of folders. Then someone says Kakashi left them here for me to address, and not to worry, since I would know what to do. Clearly, I don't, so please explain."

Kakashi moved towards him and set his briefcase down on the table. He smiled again, placing a strong hand on Yamato's shoulder.

"Past exam grades." He said lightly. "As module organisers, we need to be aware of what sort of marks the students on our course were getting last year, and the year before, and what they're currently achieving. Orochimaru-san has moved our meeting back a week, so we need to get this data analysed and ready for him by then."

"By "_we_ need to get the data analysed", you really mean "_I _need to get it analysed", don't you?" the other man said, gritting his teeth. "I'm being observed in a lecture on Monday, I need to prepare for that. I can't do this, I'm sorry."

"You're going to have to, Tenzou." Kakashi tried again. "I just gave them all essays, which need to be marked before the meeting. There are a good 120 students on the module, and the essay's 3,000 words. How do you expect me to do all of that, _and_ get the data ready? Hmm? Not to mention all the lab session stuff for my project students."

"When is the meeting?" Yamato asked, frowning.

"Wednesday, at five."

"Shit." Yamato cursed, barely audible. "I suppose... I _could_ get it all analysed in those two days? If I really tried, and didn't do anything else."

"Risky." Kakashi replied, looking away.

Yamato looked down sadly at the folders.

"Okay, look." Kakashi decided. "I'll take sixty, and you take the other sixty. That's the fairest way I can come up with. We're simply going to have to find time over the weekend. But knowing you, you'll have your side done before me, so just email it over when you're done."

"I doubt it, Senpai." Yamato sighed, rubbing his eyes. "This observation is stressing the hell out of me, and I can't seem to focus on anything else right now."

"'_Senpai'_, huh?" Kakashi grinned. "It's been a while since you've let that one slip, _Tenzou-kun_."

"And I've told you to stop calling me that, _Kakashi-san_." Yamato fired back, a little flustered.

This was Yamato's third year teaching at Konoha, which meant he had joined the university the same time as Naruto and the others. In the beginning, Kakashi was assigned as his teaching mentor, and the two had ended up becoming very close friends, as well as work colleagues.

This was the first time, however, that Yamato was having to deal with being a module organiser. He hadn't been aware it would be this much responsibility, but he felt much more at ease when he heard that Kakashi was also being placed in charge alongside him. Someone who already knew him well, and would (once again) show him the ropes.

Kakashi chuckled. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Who's observing you?"

"Tsunade herself." Yamato said weakly. "But the lecture's on water transport in plants, second years. Shouldn't be too bad, but because it's her, I'm getting panicky all the same."

"Ooh, bad luck," Kakashi replied, wincing a little. "At least it's not you-know-who."

"Yeah," Yamato agreed. "We're already under surveillance where he's concerned. He came to my office today, by the way."

"How come?" Kakashi dropped his voice to a murmur, suddenly serious. "Is... everything okay?"

"I'll tell you over lunch?" Yamato offered, wary of the other academics within earshot.

"It's been a while since we're had lunch together, actually." Kakashi nodded. "Can we go now? I'm starving. I don't even have time for breakfast these days."

"Kakashi-san," Yamato began, but the older man cut him off.

"I know, I know." He sighed, reaching for his jacket. "I need to take care of myself. And not fuck up my metabolism. As a Biochemist, I should know all this already, blah blah blah. Please don't bitch, Tenzou-kun."

"Don't get carried away, _Senpai_." Yamato snapped.

Kakashi laughed again, leading the way back out of the staff room. Despite feeling a little more upbeat now, something refused to let him relax completely; he couldn't shake that foreboding sense of dread, as if trying to warn him that there was something unpleasant, just around the corner.

Whatever it was, he didn't like it. Not one bit.

* * *

><p>Sasuke's ears twitched at the sound he'd just heard. Frantic, he glanced at the clock. <em>When did it become this late?<em> He thought, panicking slightly. It was just after seven that very same day, and he hadn't realised where the time had flown.

This had taken _much_ longer than expected...

"Sasuke...?" A hushed voice came from the doorway behind him. "It's not...my birthday. Is it?"

The Uchiha cursed under his breath. He'd heard the front door to their apartment open, and had been silently hoping Naruto wouldn't head to the kitchen right away. More than anything, he'd been counting on his roommate returning much later, considering all the lab work he still had to do for his project. The place needed cleaning up, and being caught with an apron and oven gloves on was never part of the plan.

"Are you planning on standing there the whole evening?" Sasuke chirped instead, without turning around. He opened the oven door, feeling the gentle heat warming his face and neck. "Get some plates on the table. It's almost ready."

"Sasuke," the blonde sounded tearful. "Oh, _shit_, that smells so good. Sasuke, become my wife. Please."

"Wife, my foot." He scoffed back. "You already have a-!"

He was cut off when a pair of strong arms wrapped tightly around his stomach.

"Naruto!" he growled, irritated. "I'm trying to get this out of the oven, can you not see that?! It's dangerous. Let go."

"Don't wanna." The blonde replied stubbornly, nuzzling his head against Sasuke's shoulders.

Over the years they'd known each other, Sasuke had developed a way to completely ignore Naruto's spontaneous affection, because the blonde did this sort of thing all the time. _With everyone_, he sternly reminded himself. He had to repeat that to his mind every now and then, and make sure he realised that he wasn't getting any special treatment. Make sure he didn't let little advances like these get to his head, and make him hopeful.

But for some reason, Naruto's arms felt especially good today. Sasuke clutched the baking tray harder, trying to stamp down the feeling of pure desire creeping up his throat. It was stopping him from speaking, and almost stopping his breathing too. The oven was still on, its soft heat wrapping around them like a blanket, and casting an orangey glow against the skin on his arms, and the tanned arms around his body.

It was moments like these, he knew, which would force themselves to replay over and over in his mind when he tried to sleep. Pictures, instances, fleeting events, which he could use to fool himself into believing that Naruto felt the same way about him. That he actually _mattered_ to him, the way Naruto mattered to him.

He didn't know how long they stayed like that for. Ten seconds, ten minutes, or ten years? Time wasn't making any sense right now.

"Naruto," he grunted, finally. "Please. Let's eat now."

"You made me _pizza_." Naruto sighed happily. At last, he loosened his hold on the raven and stepped back. "Sasuke, you really didn't have to."

"I didn't do this especially for you, idiot." Sasuke lied, finding his voice again. "The tomatoes and peppers were about to go bad. And we've had dough lying around for a while too. And all this extra cheese."

Another lie. Sasuke had quickly bought the ingredients while Naruto and the others had been in their lecture, and hurried back to their apartment in that same hour. And all for this reason; seeing Naruto, and knowing that he was happy. And that something _he_ had done, as the person he is, was the source of that happiness.

"How was your lab work?" Sasuke asked, shutting the oven door and placing the tray on the stove above. He dared not turn around just yet; his heart was still thudding rapidly in his chest, and seeing Naruto with his dazzling, sunny smile was the last thing he needed right now. He needed to calm down.

"It was _crap_!" Naruto replied, angrily. "Dumb Ebisu and all his dumbness. I've finally managed to get some bacterial cells to grow, and they're ready to be picked. But _nooo_~! I have to write up a detailed step-by-step freakin' set of instructions before I can go any further. Like, what?! This is _basic_ stuff. We're in _third year_ for fuck's sake. I know what to do. He seriously thinks I'm stupid."

Sasuke smiled as Naruto continued ranting. He could just imagine his roommate's classic, comical angry expression.

"Well," Sasuke reasoned, still with his back to him. "If you do this now, at least when it comes to writing up your report, you'll have all this information to hand. Provided you don't lose it, of course." He added dangerously.

"True," Naruto admitted. "But it's just frustrating, you know? It's like asking Shakespeare to write out the alphabet."

"Please," Sasuke scoffed, cutting the pizza into slices on the tray. "You're so full of yourself, suggesting you are the Shakespeare equivalent of Science. Pass me some plates, please."

"But I am." Naruto grinned. "You know I am."

Naruto stepped over to the dish rack and picked out two clean plates, handing them over to the other boy. At last, Sasuke looked over at him and met his eyes.

"Of course you are, idiot." He replied, raising an eyebrow.

They talked while Naruto set the table, and Sasuke gathered all the dirty dishes and stacked them in the sink. The kitchen was still warm from the oven, and the smell of cheese and baked dough lingered pleasantly in the air. The Uchiha felt his stomach tighten a little. And it wasn't just because he was getting hungry; the conversation he'd overheard earlier, and Orochimaru's warning, was still fresh in his mind.

"Naruto," Sasuke began, as he sat down. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Later." he replied suddenly, lifting two slices into his plate. "This looks too good, and I wanna eat!"

"It's important, dobe." Sasuke replied, seriously. "I heard Yamato-"

Naruto's loud ringtone interrupted Sasuke. The blonde let out an angry growl as he reached into his pocket; he had just been about to take the first bite. Sasuke noticed how his eyebrows twitched when he read the caller display.

The raven knew that look only too well.

"Hey," Naruto said, speaking into the phone.

Sasuke glanced down at his own empty plate, acting as though he wasn't paying any attention.

"Now?" Naruto asked, after a moment. He stood up abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Why didn't you text me earlier, how long have you been outside? It's freezing. Huh? Oh, you're in the elevator now? Fine, I'm coming."

He hung up, and glanced at Sasuke. "Two minutes," he said, and then headed out of the kitchen to their apartment door.

All too quickly, Sasuke felt every ounce of his hunger shift into something else. He took a slice for himself, but couldn't summon the will to eat. Instead, he just stared at it, unknowingly counting the number of olives, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños...

By the time he heard the apartment door again, his expression was completely neutral. He glanced up when Naruto walked in, closely followed by someone else.

"Hello Sasuke." The visitor said, without meeting his eyes.

"Hello Gaara." Sasuke replied, just as emotionlessly.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ****I swear, I will be back here as soon as time allows me. **

**Thank you ever so much for reading! **

**Hopefully see you guys soon! ^_^**

**TAM**


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